


Do Not Go Gentle

by Poets_tryna_write



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Case Fic, Department of Mysteries, Domestic Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Horcruxes, Kid Fic, M/M, Magic and Science, Master of Death Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 47,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22727959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poets_tryna_write/pseuds/Poets_tryna_write
Summary: An Antiques and Collectables shop owner has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Can Harry find him in time while confronting parts of his past that he would rather forget? Can he wield the power that he wishes he didn't have? Can he reunite a husband and wife without hurting them or himself?This is a fluff piece masquerading as a case fic. I just needed some fluffy, established relationship, kid fic fun, and this is what I came up with. Featuring Department of Unsolved Mysteries Harry Malfoy-Potter, Potions Master and Apothecary shop owner Draco Malfoy-Potter, their twin sons Scorpius John Malfoy-Potter and James Sirius Malfoy-Potter and a few other characters to round out the whole thing.Enjoy!
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

It was darker than the night, wherever he was, of that Spencer was certain. At least at night you had stars or the moon to show shadows and shades of grey. Here, in this place, there was nothing, no point of light to show anything other than the all encompassing dread this blackness elicited from his heart. Exactly where this place was, Spencer did not know, it was obviously meant to be a secret known only to the creator as he was certain he was alone and the weight of the unknown started to shred his nerves more than anything else. The silence was also cloying. It felt like a presence. The only sound was his ragged breathing and the beating of his overworked heart. He knew that if he didn’t get himself in check he would have a full blown panic attack and that would not help in the slightest. So he thought about the events that happened prior to him waking up in this place, if he was in fact asleep to begin with, he wasn’t sure. It didn’t feel like waking, it felt more like arriving. The last thing he remembered was stocking the shelves with his new purchases from the auction last week. He had just pulled the silver snuff box out of his box of treasures and was about to lift the lid when a gust of wind came out of nowhere and everything went black. Now he had no idea where he was but it certainly wasn’t his store as it never got this dark and it was too large to be the back storeroom. Spencer wasn’t sure how he knew it was a large room, but he sensed that he was indoors and he didn’t feel claustrophobic, which being in tight spaces usually made him feel to some degree. As he couldn’t see anything he started to shuffle forward hoping to find a wall or better yet, a light switch or a door. He counted off his steps and when he reached ten his fingers brushed something solid. Sighing with relief he felt his way along what he determined was a wall. “Where the hell am ?I” he wondered. He reached the corner of the wall and continued. He again counted his steps to determine the length of the wall. He came to a second corner after fifteen steps. He then counted to the next corner. Another fifteen. He felt sure the next wall would contain a door so as he reached the seventh and eighth step his hoped flared. When he reached ten he started to get anxious. When he reached fifteen his hope failed. He was almost back to where he had started and yet there was no door. How could there be a room with no door? He tried to quell his panic but his breathing was starting to pick up and his chest began to tighten. He reached the first corner again and slid down to the floor. “Okay” he said aloud, “Don’t panic. Maybe this is a crawl space and the door is near the floor or there’s a trap door in the floor, or the ceiling. Just breathe and keep looking. There has to be a way out.” He took two calming breaths and started crawling along the wall feeling for anything other than the smooth walls. “I will find a way out. I have to” he declared with false certainty. 

“You will never escape! You belong to the realm of the dead!” A voice suddenly called through the darkness. 

“Who are you and where am I?” Spencer replied unsteadily. 

“You are beyond the veil. There is no escape.” The voice replied and its pronouncement was followed by another gust of wind and Spencer knew no more.

* * *

Patrick Stone sat in his cluttered office reviewing a case that had grown increasingly more and more bizarre the further into the file he read. Bizarre cases were not unusual for the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Liaison Office at Scotland Yard. The office consisted of one person, Patrick, and while it may get lonely at times it was a critical position even though he couldn’t tell anyone what his real job was. His colleagues believed that he was part of a Special Forces division and so they learned not to ask too many questions as all he ever said was he couldn’t comment on any of his cases. When he came across a very blatant magical case he would immediately inform his contact at the DMLE, who just so happened to be his sister, and she would send “obliviators” to “take care” of the investigating officers and then take over the case. He knew about the Magical World, even though he was not a part of it himself, because Charlotte, his sister, was a Muggle-born witch. Pat loved his sister and finding out she was a witch came as a bit of a shock to him when an owl had delivered her acceptance letter to Hogwarts some 30 years ago. He had been jealous at the time, but Charlotte had told him all about the things she was learning so he could live vicariously through her. He graduated from the local secondary school and went into the academy to become a “proper Copper” as Charlotte liked to tease. He enjoyed his work but when he was injured in the line of duty, Charlotte approached him with the offer to be a part of the Wizarding World even though he couldn’t do magic himself. He quickly accepted and now enjoyed understanding more about the world he had not been really a part of. His days could go from downright dull to extremely dangerous in a matter of moments. He mostly got reports of accidental magic that were witnessed by Muggles, but sometimes the cases would be more sinister in nature and then the whole thing would become much more complicated. 

The file he was perusing was a case that began with a call into the local police office in Oxted a week ago. A shop owner had called in saying that weird things were happening at his shop. Objects would be moved overnight, lights and electricity would flicker and fail in spots but not in others, and customers would report feeling cold suddenly while shopping. Possible “Paranormal activity” is what it said in the file, and the investigating officer had come to the conclusion that there was nothing that could be done and had shelved the file. Then something had occurred that had made Scotland Yard sit up and take notice. The shop owner had gone missing in the middle of the day and his wife stated that he had not left on his own volition because he would never do that without informing her, and she was convinced that something horrible had happened to him. 

The local police had called in The Yard to help out, as the municipal police force in Oxted was small and not equipped to handle a missing person case let alone anything bigger. Stone now read the initial reports from The Yard’s investigative team and they had determined that there were signs of a struggle inside the shop, the door had been locked and the money in the cash register as well as the safe in the back were untouched. It looked like someone had thrown a few things about and then stopped. Was it a confrontation between the shopkeeper and a disgruntled customer or between a husband and wife? If that was the case, where was the shopkeeper? 

This wasn’t what made Pat contact Charlotte though, it was the last paragraph in the report that stated that when the officers arrived to investigate the shop they were blasted back from the door as they tried to enter by what they could only describe as a strong gust of wind. They were shaken up but when they tried to enter a second time, nothing happened and they were able to enter. They noted however that as they looked around the shop they felt an overwhelming sense that they should leave and not return. They finished searching for clues quickly and left for the night. A blast of wind strong enough to knock grown men off their feet? Professional investigators feeling uneasy enough to want to leave a potential crime scene even though there wasn’t anything really wrong? It was bizarre for sure, so Pat decided to get his sister to send one of her officers to rule out the possibility of magic, just to be safe.

He rang her mobile and after giving her the run down of the case, she told him to send the file to her and she would look into it. Charlotte was a no nonsense Ravenclaw and when given the facts she made a decision quickly. She had risen through the ranks of the DMLE and after 15 years of service she was well respected and everyone trusted her instincts. She had still been quite surprised when she heard that the Savior of the Wizarding World had requested to work in her department instead of in the Auror department as had been the assumption of everyone when he had applied to work at the DMLE. She had talked to Harry after his first year of training and asked him why he had refused to become an Auror. He told her it was because he was tired of fighting and while he wanted to help the Wizarding World even after all he had already done, he wanted to find a different way to help that satisfied him and did not constantly bring the past back to the forefront of his mind. He also loved to solve mysteries and his childhood proved that once he got a hint of something amiss he would doggedly pursue it until he figured it out. He also didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day or in a library researching, so most jobs in the Department of Mysteries were out. The next logical place for the Boy Who Lived was in the DMLE Unsolved Mysteries Department. Charlotte was skeptical of his abilities at first despite his track record, but when Harry was able to solve a case that had stumped more seasoned officers, he was solidified in Charlotte’s mind as an equal and someone she could see working closely with, so she had asked her superiors to allow Harry to be her partner and they had agreed. 

She knew she had a reputation for not being a people person, but that was not completely accurate. She did not suffer fools gladly and had a hard time not rolling her eyes when the conversation around the lunch table revolved around drunken escapades or the latest gossip of the newest relationships in the Ministry of Magic. That’s why she got on with Harry so well. He stayed out of the limelight and hated being the center of attention. Not that he didn’t get pulled into that light from time to time, being who he was it was inevitable, but he did not seek it out and he did not revel in it. He usually ran away from it, to the chagrin of his superiors and his fame loving admirers. He could usually be found sitting by himself or with a few close friends that worked in different departments at lunch and you could tell he was trying not to call attention to himself. 

At the moment Harry was in his paper strewn office finishing up some paperwork that he had not had time to finish the day before. He was in between cases at the moment and had time to finish up some of the case files that had been on the back burner while the more pressing matters took his focus. He loved the ebb and flow of his work. It was calming to know that while he was on a case he could get the rush of solving a complex puzzle that made work exciting, but then he could have the moments of rest that his life had lacked for most of his school career. He enjoyed the cases that did not have an obvious solution and felt immense satisfaction closing cases that others couldn’t. 

His life after Hogwarts couldn’t be more different than he would ever have imagined it could be. He had returned to Hogwarts after the war to complete his NEWTS and to regain some of the normalcy his life lacked after the final Battle. Going to classes and socializing with friends was just what he needed and it allowed him to really figure out who he was a person and not be the pawn he had been forced to be. That was a pivotal year for his friends as well. Without the threat of death hanging over their heads they were able to heal and figure out who the heck they actually were and what they wanted. Hermione continued to excel in academia so she became a professor at Hogwarts and a guest lecturer at the Ministry Training Academy on how she changed outdated and prejudiced policies within the ministry to better the lives of the marginalized like house elves and werewolves. Ron decided to work with George in Diagon Alley and took care of the business and development side of the joke shop. It now had three locations around the UK and they were thinking of expanding to the continent and the Americas. What Harry had wanted was to join the DMLE in some capacity and for some unknown and bizarre reason, find out what it was like to kiss a boy. This last revelation was not as big of a shock to Hermione as it was to Harry and Ron, after all she said, “you were very interested in Draco for most of our school life, I just thought that maybe you weren’t ready to be open to the possibility that your animosity was a mask for something deeper”. 

Well when put like that, Harry lost no time coming to terms with his attraction to boys and Draco Malfoy in particular and as the year went on they became friends and then over Easter Break, they started dating. Draco was strong and determined, but also caring and soft when he felt safe. It had taken a bit for him to trust Harry’s intentions, but once Harry had broken through that particular wall, Draco had become one of Harry’s best friends. They had helped each other heal and learn to be more open with their emotions. They still drove each other mad, but with an underlying fondness that tempered the frustration. Now after 10 years, they were madly in love and their friends were often mocking them for being too affectionate in public. 

Draco had pursued his love of Potions and Herbology and he had become a Potions Master and opened his own apothecary in Hogsmeade. It hadn’t been easy, as many in the Wizarding World still hated him and the mark on his arm, but with the support of Harry and his friends, and the quality of his potions and ingredients, his shop had been the best place for Hogwarts students and professors to go, as well as the inhabitants of the village. Madame Promfrey and Professor Sprout were often seen chatting with Draco in his shop or around the village asking his opinion on a new treatment for a common illness or about a new subspecies of plant he was trying to grow. Then one day Draco had a paper published on how he had successfully reinvented the Dreamless Sleep potion so that it was no longer addictive when taken more frequently than usually recommended. Those that suffered from PTSD from the war were able to cope with the nightmares more easily because of his discovery and Draco felt like he had started to make amends for all the horrible choices he and his family had made during the war. The research team at St. Mungos had read his paper and sent a letter with an offer to hire Draco on as one of their medical potions researchers. They had tested his new potion rigorously and were completely impressed with the results. Harry had found Draco crying in the sitting room the day that letter from St. Mungos had come, and Harry had held Draco whispering words of encouragement and pride after determining that Draco was not hurt or in distress but overwhelmed by how far he had come. He had applied for that job after graduating Hogwarts but was told that his “Death Eater status” was too much of a “liability” and that he would have to try elsewhere for employment. Now they were begging him to come and work for them full time. He politely declined but made the counter offer to work on projects that interested him at his discretion. They were more than happy to make that accommodation and now he was one of the go to lead researchers for hospitals all over the UK and France. Harry was so proud of his husband and told him so repeatedly.

He and Draco had had a bonding ceremony three years after they graduated from Hogwarts and then two years later Luna Lovegood had agreed to be their surrogate when Harry and Draco had started asking their friends whether they should adopt or have children through a surrogate. She had moved in with them for the duration of her pregnancy so they had been able to go through the whole pregnancy with her. James Sirus and Scorpius John Malfoy-Potter were born on a cold October night and their fathers wept like babies when they were able to hold their sons for the first time. James resembled his name sake as well as his Daddy, except for his grey-blue eyes that matched his Papa’s. Scorpius resembled his Papa but had Harry and Lily’s brilliant green eyes. Their fathers were so humbled that day by their two little miracles and even three years later, Harry and Draco still had trouble believing that they were fathers but wouldn’t trade their crazy life for anything. They were able to give their boys the childhood that both of them never had. A childhood filled with unconditional love, support and fun. Not that they let their boys run wild, they made sure that their boys knew that there were limits and that Daddy’s or Papa’s word was the final answer. The boys flourished and blended in with the rest of Harry’s adopted family, to the mock horror of Draco, and Harry could not have been happier. 

Harry smiled to himself as he sat at his desk reminiscing and looking at the photograph of the boys in the frame Draco had given him for his birthday this past July. It was a picture of James and Scorpius flying around the grounds of their Brighton summer cottage on the practice brooms that Ron and George had bought them for Christmas last year. It reminded Harry of the torn photograph he had of himself on the broom Sirius had bought him. They joy on his sons’ faces made even the toughest days at work more tolerable as it was a reminder of why he was doing what he was doing. He was looking forward to finishing his paperwork and maybe skiving off a bit early to surprise the boys and Draco with a home cooked meal. He was just about to put the final touches on his last report when Charlotte knocked on his door.

“Hey Harry, do you have a second?”

“For you Charlotte, two seconds” Harry joked

“Very funny, I’m rolling on the floor laughing” Charlotte deadpanned. “I got a call from my brother and he told me about a very bizarre case that has been going through the Oxted police department and then The Yard this week.”

She gave Harry the run down of the case and when she got to the powerful gust of wind and the feeling of unease at the potential crime scene, Harry was frowning slightly. Charlotte knew that that facial expression meant Harry was putting the pieces together to see what the possibilities were, so she waited as Harry seemed to zone out for a moment. Then with a small shake of his head, he looked at her and replied, “That sounds odd, but I’m not sure it’s DMLE worthy” 

Charlotte smiled and said, “Maybe not, but if it is, how would you feel if you had given up the chance to solve another interesting mystery because your inner skeptic was so loud? Besides, a man is missing and there are no leads. At the very least we can try to give an answer to a distraught wife who has no idea where her husband is”

Harry sighed and Charlotte knew she had won the argument. She held out the case file to Harry and he sighed again. “You know me too well Charlotte, I think I may need to put in for a new partner, one who doesn’t know what buttons to press to get me to go along with whatever they want to do”

“I am hurt Harry James Malfoy-Potter. Wounded in body and spirit that you would even entertain such a thing” Charlotte clutched her chest in an over dramatic way that got Harry chuckling. 

“All right, let’s go take a look, and when we discover that there is nothing magical about this case I can go home with a self satisfied look on my face and tell Draco I was right again.” Harry got up from his chair and made his way to the coat rack in the corner and shrugged on his coat.

“Again? When have you ever been right about these things?” Charlotte mocked

“I’ll have you know I am right at least 1 time out of 10. Those are better odds than any of your other partners!” Harry answered in mock indignation.

“That’s not high praise Harry. My other partners were no better than trolls” Charlotte tossed behind her as she led them down the hallway to the lifts. Harry grinned and joined her in the lift with a playful flick on her arm.

Once they reached the atrium, Harry texted Draco that he had a new case and wasn’t sure when he’d be home. Draco texted back with a “No problem. Text me when you know for sure. ILY” Harry grinned at his phone. He was always so tickled to see Draco using text speak and marveled at how far he had come from his pureblood upbringing. 

“Stop grinning like a love sick loon and let’s go” Charlotte barked and Harry gave her the finger but put the phone in his pocket. 

“I am not grinning like a love sick loon, my husband just happens to be the cutest man in the whole world and I cannot help my reactions to that.” Harry sassily replied 

“Whatever, the faster we get there the faster you can get home and be all disgustingly in love on your own time” Charlotte snarked back. She held out her arm for him and aparated them to a discrete location not far from the shop. They checked that there were no witnesses around and made their way to the shop front. The sign above the store read, “Anderson Antiques and Collectables.” Harry stepped closer to the building and began surreptitiously casting notice me not spells and other wards to keep curious muggle onlookers from disturbing them. Once he was satisfied that the wards would do what they needed them to do, he began casting revealing spells and other spells that could detect dark magic. He also cast spells to look for magical signatures that may have been left behind. Charlotte watched and recorded the findings of the spells. They came back negative and there were no traces of magical signatures outside the shop. They approached the door and as nothing happened to prevent them from grasping the handle except to find that it was locked, they decided to go and talk to Mrs. Anderson and maybe have a look around inside the shop. 

Harry and Charlotte walked to the side of the building and knocked on the door that the file indicated lead to the apartment above the shop where the shopkeeper and his wife lived. After a few moments, they heard someone walking down the creaky stairs and then the deadbolt slid home. The door opened to reveal a face Harry hadn’t seen in almost 10 years. 

“Potter?! What are you doing here?” 

“Parkinson?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Well spotted Potter, now again, What are YOU doing here?” Pansy replied more aggressively than her demeanor would suggest she could be. Harry could see that her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and her voice was nasally from being stuffed up. She had obviously been crying lately and a lot, which given the circumstances, was more than understandable if it was her husband that had gone missing. 

Harry took a breath and said, “We” he gestured at Charlotte and himself, “are from the Unsolved Mysteries Division at the Ministry of Magic, Law Enforcement Department and we were given a report that stated unexplained activity was happening at this location and we came to look for clues that will tell us what happened to the owner and to ask Mrs. Anderson some questions. What are you doing here?” 

“Still as thick as I remember Potter, obviously I live here, which means I am the “Mrs. Anderson” you have come to talk to,” she rolled her eyes at the shocked expression that swiftly passed over Harry’s face before he was able to school it into a more professional mask. If memory serves, Harry thought, when in distress Pansy Parkinson puts on a mask of disdain and biting words just like a certain blonde he knows. 

“We weren’t aware that this residence housed someone magical, we thought this was a purely Muggle area”. He looked at Parkinson or he guessed he should call her Anderson now, skeptically

“Well you would be correct Potter, there is no one here that can do magic” her voice dropped to a whisper at the end of that statement.

“What! You aren’t magical?, what kind of bollocks is this!, You went to Hogwarts, you are a pureblood, you had magic when we were in school, what happened?” Harry exclaimed the professional mask dropping once again. Pansy glared at him and then sighed. 

“Always so tactless Potter. After the war I went into hiding, fearing repercussions of my actions during the final battle, as most of my Slytherin housemates did. I was able to hide well in France, but after a couple years I got a little too “overconfident” and had coffee with Blaise Zabini in Hogsmeade, he owns a shop there. Anyway, as I was making my way to the nearest apparition point I was attacked by an unknown assailant. He hit me with multiple curses and left me to bleed out in an alley.” She shuddered at the memory and wrapped her arms around her torso. “Someone found me and aparated me to St. Mungos and when I woke up the Healers told me that one curse had not been caught in time and it had drained my magical core before they could reverse its effects. I have no more magic than a Muggle, poetic justice is it not?” she finished with a bitter laugh.

Harry looked at her face and saw the same sadness that he had seen in Draco in 8th year. Weary acceptance of an unfair fate. 

“That wasn’t justice Pansy, no one deserves that, you least of all” he replied emphatically. He watched with sorrow as her face crumpled. She started to cry silently but moved away from the door and gestured for them to follow her upstairs. 

Charlotte witnessed this exchange with quiet empathy and when Pansy returned from the powder room, she took the lead to start their questioning so that Harry could think about what had been said. She knew Harry would want to look into this incident because his own husband had been abused and demoralized for years after the war and he still was, every once and awhile, and Harry could do nothing to stop the prejudice that some people could not let go of. She looked at Pansy to make sure she had had time to pull herself and then asked her to recount the events leading up to her husband’s disappearance. Pansy started by telling them about the objects that moved in the night. First it had been small things that they could have dismissed as customers just placing things down in unusual spots, but then it became bigger items that a customer wouldn’t touch, such as display tables and shelves, or one time the cash register was on the other side of the counter and the money inside had been jumbled together as though it had been shaken. Harry took notes as she spoke and began to see that these incidents were definitely magical. Pansy then started to speak about the day her husband went missing. 

“It was 12:30 in the afternoon and it was almost time for him to have lunch. We usually have another employee, Carolyn, in the shop so that he can come upstairs for a break, but Carolyn had called in that morning to say she couldn’t make it because her son was ill, so Spencer asked me to bring down his lunch at 1:00 and he could eat in the shop. I went downstairs to ask him what he wanted on his sandwich but he wasn’t at the till. So I went to look around the shop, but he wasn’t there either. I thought maybe he went into the storage room to get something, but there was no sign that he had been there recently. I started to panic. It was not like him to leave without telling me, especially when there was no one to cover the store. The front door was locked, I remember that clearly as I had to unlock it to see if he was outside for some reason. He wasn’t so I went back in and looked around more carefully to see if I could see anything out of place that would indicate why he may have left. I noticed that there were purchase orders on the floor in front of the checkout counter and that one of the aisles looked as though someone had come and swept their arm down the shelf and knocked the items onto the floor in anger. I started to get more and more worried so I phoned the local police and they sent two officers over. They asked me some questions and then told me to leave the shop as I found it so that officers from Scotland Yard could come and investigate. I told them that Spencer would not have left without telling me and that it didn’t look as though anything had been taken, as the register was closed and the expensive items on display were still locked in their cabinets. I went upstairs and phoned Blaise and told him that I was afraid something bad had happened to Spencer because of me and he came over to wait with me until the Scotland Yard investigators came. Pansy took a breath and Charlotte asked why she thought someone would have hurt Spencer to get at her. Pansy replied that she didn’t know if that was the case but it was more likely that than Spencer taking off or being in trouble for something he did. She was a Death Eater sympathizer, according to popular belief and as such she should be taught a lesson. 

“Have you gotten any threats or letters from anyone wishing you or your husband harm?” Charlotte asked. 

“No, no one from the Wizarding World knows I’m here except for Blaise and now you of course. My parents think I’m dead, or they would think I was as good as because I married a Muggle, and I don’t have magic anymore, so I don’t have contact with them” Pansy shrugged. 

Her eyes started to mist over again, so Charlotte quickly tried to distract her with another question. She asked if she had witnessed the “gust of wind” the officers had reported. She replied that she had been upstairs when the officers arrived and her and Blaise had come rushing down when they heard them yelling in shock and confusion. Blaise asked them what had happened and they told them that a gust of wind blasted them back from the door. 

“The way they described it, it sounded like a spell or something because what else would have been triggered by them approaching the door or be powerful enough to do that? They then approached the door again and nothing happened. They went in after I unlocked the door, and looked around. I could tell they were uncomfortable by their body language but I couldn’t understand why. Then I started walking closer to the shelves that had been cleared and I felt something there that made me uneasy. That feeling hadn’t been there the first time I walked by, at least I don’t think so, but I was in a panic at the time so maybe I didn’t notice, I don’t know. It felt like a dementor kind of, but more sinister instead of unhappy. It’s hard to describe. Anyway the officers finished looking around really quickly and told me they would be in touch if they needed anymore questions answered. I haven’t heard from them since, but considering that you are here, I guess it’s because the Ministry got the case instead.” Pansy finished.

“Yes, my brother works for Scotland Yard as a liason to the Ministry and he contacted me today about your case. We thought we would come and do some preliminary tests to see what we are dealing with. Obviously we have to rule you out as a suspect, but from what you have told us, I am sure you had nothing to do with this” Charlotte smiled kindly.

“Of course not, I love Spencer and would never do anything to harm him. Also, not having magic would prevent me from doing anything like this. You can talk to Blaise and check his wand, but he also wouldn’t do anything to harm me or my husband” Pansy replied. 

“Ok we’ll get in touch with him later, but for now we would like to do some investigating in the shop to see if we can detect any magical traces and try to figure out what happened to Spencer.” Harry added. 

“Sure, we can go down through the entrance in the back room.” Pansy signaled for them to follow her and she led them to a door in the hall. They walked down the stairs into the shop, and as they reached the landing Harry gasped and crumpled to the floor.

“HARRY!” Charlotte yelled as she knelt beside Harry’s prone body. 

Pansy knelt on his other side and shook his arm, “Potter, you can’t die on me now, not after everything!”

After a few anxious moments, Harry came to and tried to focus on their faces as they swam in front of him. Their voices sounded far away and like he was underwater. “I’m ok, I'm not sure what that was, it overwhelmed me so quickly” he rasped out. 

Charlotte took her wand out and ran a quick diagnostic spell on him and it showed that his blood pressure was super low. She helped him sit up and summoned a cup of water with a swish of her wand. Once he had finished the cup he allowed the women to help him up. Spots appeared in front of his eyes, but he stayed on his feet. He closed his eyes and leaned on the wall. Then feeling a bit better he pulled out his wand, but Charlotte slapped his hand down. 

“Give your body a few minutes to recuperate Harry, we don’t want you passing out again. Harry sighed and Charlotte started casting the standard diagnostic spells. The dark detector spells lit up a section of the shop and as they walked towards it, Pansy told them that that was the section that had been disturbed. They walked closer and Harry could feel a presence that he had only felt before the fall of Voldemort. 

“No” gasped Harry, “That’s not possible! We destroyed them all, it can’t be!” 

“What are you talking about Harry?” Charlotte asked.

“It feels like a Horcrux” Harry whispered.

“A WHAT?” Charlotte went pale. “Are you saying that there is a piece of someone’s soul in this shop?

Pansy whimpered and sank to the floor clutching her chest. 

“It can’t be his soul though, right, He’s dead. We saw his body. He was dead.” Pansy rambled quietly behind them. 

“No, it can’t be Voldemort. He is definitely dead, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t teach one of his followers how to make one. Many of his followers were even crazier than he was.” Harry replied. 

“So where is it? Get it out of my shop Potter! I can’t have something like that here! How did it get here? Spencer would never bring something like that into our shop. He wouldn’t even know what it was. I swear I didn’t bring it into the shop. I’m not suicidal and I sure as hell don’t want to go to Azkaban. You have to believe me Potter, I had nothing to do with this! Please believe me!” Pansy was starting to panic. 

“Calm down Pansy! I know that you would not knowingly have this in your possession. We just have to figure out how it got here. Items like the ones you sell come from many different places, and sometimes things that started off in Wizarding houses get donated to Muggle shops without owners realizing that they are magical. That’s why we have a department in the ministry to deal with Muggles who come into contact with magical items. How something this dark could have slipped through is a mystery and frankly very alarming. We need to find the object and then destroy it” 

Harry started walking toward the section again and Charlotte grabbed his arm. “Should you get close to this thing Harry, I mean after all you’ve been through maybe we should get the Department of Mysteries in and have their Dark Arts people deal with it.” She looked at Harry with such care and concern that Harry only just refrained from rolling his eyes. 

“I’ll be fine Char” he said while nudging her with his shoulder. They walked with their wands raised and started scanning each item and as they reached the end of the shelving unit Harry noticed a silver snuff box laying on the floor. He walked toward it and the overwhelming feeling of evil surrounded his heart. He breathed through the panic and kept advancing. He knew the object was tainted now and just wanted to run in the opposite direction but duty compelled him to keep going. He shot a stasis charm over the box and levitated it into a magic dampening lock box that he kept in his kit. With the offending item safely secured the feeling of fear and unease disappeared and they all breathed a sigh of relief. Harry turned to Pansy and asked, “I’m wondering why you never noticed this object before now” 

Pansy looked thoughtful and then replied, “Spencer went to an auction two weeks ago and the things he bought arrived last week, and with it being the high season, he didn’t have a chance to unpack everything. This must have been in a box in the storage room, and I never go in there as I hate small enclosed spaces. It used to be a large wall safe, so maybe that blocked the Horcruxes’ power? Spencer must have been unpacking the box right before he disappeared. Since there was such an evil thing in this box, is it possible that something else may have hurt Spencer when he touched it or taken him away somehow? Maybe a portkey or something?” Pansy started to look frantic again. 

“We can’t rule anything out, but don’t worry Pansy we will find your husband. We have a place to start at least. We need to figure out where this Horcrux came from and who made it. If we can figure that out, maybe we can find out what else was in the box and we will be closer to getting Spencer back. Who knows, if it was a portkey, maybe he’s already on his way home”. Harry said comfortingly. 

“ I hope so, but with my luck it won’t be that easy”

“You and me both. Things are never easy for us, are they Pansy?” Harry gave a small grin as he turned to Charlotte. “We should get this Horcrux to the ministry and get the lab to start working out who created it and what else could have been in that box. They collected all the items scattered on the floor and put them in evidence boxes. Then placing them into their kit bags, they told Pansy that they would keep her informed of their progress and to let them know if anything else happened. She told them that she would be staying at Blaise’s until Spencer returned because she didn’t feel safe alone. She gave Charlotte Blaise’s floo address and saw them to the door. After Charlotte had aparated back to the Ministry, Pansy grabbed Harry’s arm before he could do the same.

“Thanks for all your help Harry. I am really sorry for all that I have done to you in the past. I hope that you can find a way to forgive me.”

“Of course Pansy, it’s been over 10 years and a lot has changed. I forgave you a long time ago, and I am glad I can tell you that in person. I hope you know that I really understand that we all had to do what we did to survive and I don’t hold anything against anyone. I forgave and fell in love with someone who others would call my nemesis, so you can believe that my words are true. Now I know you don’t want people knowing that you are here, and for good reason, but would you be ok if I told my husband? Draco would be interested to know that you’re ok and if you’re fine with it, he might even want to get in touch.”

“Sure Potter. I miss Draco, but with him being married to you I doubted whether he would want to hear from me, considering.” Pansy sighed

“I’m sure he would welcome a chance to reconnect with his most annoying but loyal friend. His words, not mine. He’s changed a lot too you know” Harry winked.

“Maybe not as much as you would like to think Potter!” Pansy gave a small smile. “But you can tell him I would love to have a chat.” 

“We’ll talk soon Pansy. Try to get some rest. I know that it will be hard, but you need to stay strong for Spencer and take care of yourself. Do you need help getting to Blaise’s? Harry asked.

“I know. I am so worried, but I also know that I can’t just go rushing around looking for him”. She smirked, “I’m no Gryffindor but I know that you will help him, and even though it’s hard, I trust you. I’ll just ring Blaise on his mobile and he will come and get me. Thanks though”

With that Harry apparated to the ministry to see if Charlotte needed anything else from him before he was able to call it a day and get home to his husband and their boys. It was an interesting case for sure, and he knew he would solve it. Hopefully sooner rather than later as he couldn’t imagine going for days without knowing where Draco was, so he knew Pansy must be feeling overwhelmed and frantic. He walked into their townhome an hour later and called for Draco. The blonde walked out from the study and after sharing a kiss Harry said, “You will never guess who is involved in my latest case.” 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the family fluffiness.

PANSY?! That’s the craziest story I’ve ever heard!” Draco replied after Harry had given him a quick run down of his day. “I wish she had gotten into contact with me, I could have been there for her! I could have helped her in some way! I can’t imagine what she has gone through. I hate that those bastards got her. We need to help her get justice Harry! We need to find her husband! You need to help her!” Draco’s voice started to get louder and more desperate as he continued to speak. He took a shuddering breath and was about to continue ranting when a small voice called, “Papa?”

Scorpius toddled out into the hall and looked at his fathers, with worry and confusion.

“Hey buddy, Papa is ok, he’s just a little worked up over some sad news about a friend. Can you go get Jamie for us and then we can go have some hot chocolate before bed? 

“JAMIE!” Scorpius screeched running back to the study where he and James had been watching a tv show, “we gonna have hot cho’late, come on!” 

Harry turned back to Draco and pulled him into a tight hug. “Breathe Draco, we are going to do everything we can to find Spencer, and Pansy wants you to call her as soon as you can. She is a strong woman and she will pull through this, just like she has before. Now that you know, you can help her and be there in any way she needs.”

“I know, I just feel so guilty that she had to go through that and didn’t feel like she could call on me to help.”

Harry whispered into Draco’s hair, “When you say things like that I fall even more in love with you than I already am, you are a great man Draco Malfoy-Potter!” 

“DADDY, PAPA, not time for hugging! It’s time for hot cho’late!” Scorpius’ voice broke through the moment and the two men smiled turning towards their boys who had their hands on their hips and a long suffering look on their faces. 

“Ok ok, you little monsters let’s go and satisfy your need for sweets” Harry chuckled as the boys yelled triumphantly and ran towards the kitchen. Once the boys had their chocolate craving satisfied the two men shooed them upstairs for a bath and teeth brushing. Having finished getting ready for bed, the boys settled into Scorpius’ bed to have a story. It was Harry’s turn to read so Draco settled on the end of the bed as Harry snuggled between the boys. He took out their favourite book full of Muggle fairy tales and read them “The Tinderbox” which was James’ favourite. He loved the part where the dogs come to the soldier and bring him gold and silver. When they got to the part where the soldier falls in love with the princess, the boys always squealed in horror making their fathers grin. 

“Are you going to help Papa’s friend, Daddy?” Scorpius asked sleepily after the story was finished.

“I’m going to try my best love” Harry smoothed back Scorpius’ hair and kissed his forehead. Then he picked up James and brought him to his bed. Draco leaned over Scorpius and was about to kiss him goodnight as well when Scorpius launched himself at Draco in a big bear hug. “You are the best Papa and I know that you will help your friend feel better!” he said with such conviction that Draco felt his eyes start to tear up. 

“I will try my best sweetheart, thank you for believing in me! I love you to the moon” Draco whispered.

“And back” Scorpius finished. 

Harry watched his boys from James’ bed with such awe and love spilling out of his heart. It never ceased to amaze him that this was his life. He never wanted to take moments like this for granted. Especially knowing that they could change in an instant. Draco looked over at Harry with teary eyes and Harry returned his watery smile. James on the other hand was not aware of the sappy moment that was happening around him, so he said, “Can we go to the zoo this weekend? I want to see the lions!” 

Draco and Harry smiled at each other again shaking their heads in amusement, and Harry said, “We’ll see Jamie, it depends on if I’m needed at work or not” 

“Daddy, can you not be working this weekend so we can see the lions, please?!” James looked up at Harry beseechingly. 

“I’ll see what I can do Jamie” Harry promised with a fond smile.

“YAY! Scorp we might be able to see lions!” James clapped his hands.

“Alright lads, time for bed!” Draco announced

“AWWWWW, we’re not sleepy, are we Scorp?” James replied fighting a yawn as he looked at his brother. 

“I’m sleepy Jamie, and the faster we go to sleep, the faster we will wake up and play!” Scorpius said sleepily. 

“Ok, I will try Scorp” James promised with another yawn and snuggled under his covers.

“Goodnight boys, we love you!” Harry and Draco said as they walked into the hall.

“Love you too Daddy, Papa” came the sleepy reply.

Harry shut the door almost all the way and cast a monitoring spell so they would know if either of the boys stirred in the night.

“I’m exhausted,” Harry said with a yawn.

“You’ve had a long day! Let’s get some tea and watch a fluff show to unwind”

“Sounds perfect” Harry grabbed Draco’s hand as they walked to the kitchen to make tea. Harry put the kettle on the hob, as Draco got the mugs ready. Once the water boiled, they took their mugs back to the study and settled onto the couch. Harry settled in between Draco’s legs resting his back on Draco’s chest as he pulled the throw blanket over them. Draco flicked on the TV and settled on a crime drama they had watched before. Harry sighed as Draco absently rubbed his hand over Harry’s chest and stomach. 

“I love you so much Draco” Harry leaned his head back to look at Draco.

“I love you too, you sap” Draco smiled as leaned forward to capture Harry’s lips in a quick kiss. 

Harry sighed into the kiss and then buried his nose into the crook of Draco’s neck breathing him in. 

“I hope that Spencer is safe wherever he ended up. I hope it was just a latent portkey and not something more sinister. I just can’t get over the fact that there was a bloody Horcrux in a Muggle shop! Like how does that even happen?” Harry sighed with frustration. 

“I have no idea, but you will get to the bottom of it and you will find a way to solve this mystery. Not just because it’s someone we know, but because you need to make sure that that kind of evil is destroyed completely” Draco replied emphatically. 

“Yes, once we find out who made it, we are going to make sure that it is the only one, and that they can’t pull a Voldemort” Harry shuddered. 

“Oh Merlin, I can’t even think about that” Draco shivered. 

“So much for relaxing” Harry whined. 

“Well, maybe we can find a better way to relax upstairs” Draco winked and Harry banished the mugs to the kitchen and quickly pulled Draco to his feet and began dragging Draco up the stairs. Draco chuckled at Harry’s urgency and as he was pulled into their room Harry pushed him up against the door and kissed him passionately. 

“I was thinking of a good book and maybe a neck massage” Draco managed to gasp out as Harry began pulling their shirts off.

“That sounds lovely and all, but no thank you. I have a much better plan” Harry panted as he continued to divest himself and Draco of their clothes. They fell into bed and after an intense session of lovemaking Harry felt much more relaxed. 

“Thank you, love that was just what I needed” Harry sighed as he snuggled into Draco’s chest. 

“I agree, your plan was much better than mine. Such a smart man” Draco kissed the top of Harry’s head as Harry’s breathing evened out and he smiled at how amazing his husband was and how proud he was to be married to such a caring and passionate man. Draco drifted off with a soft smile on his face. 

The next day after eating a pile of waffles, washing sticky fingers and drawing out raucous giggles from his two boys, Harry apparated to the Ministry. He took the lift to his department and dropped off his bag before making his way to Charlotte’s office. He knocked on her door frame and waited for her to beckon himself. She was reading a report and Harry hoped it was about their case. 

“Any news? Did they find out who made the horcrux?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Not yet, They said that they were able to determine that it was a horcrux made around the same time as Voldemort’s second rise to power, but they are waiting on the go ahead to try and release the part of the soul that is contained inside. Their lead magical forensic scientist is on assignment and they want to wait until she is back before they let it out. They said it should be done in a day or two. They are also still running traces on the other items we gathered at the shop but so far no magical signatures have been matched to the items. They are sending a team of magical forensic scientists over to the shop to check for other items that may be magical or may point us to the identity of the person who either created the horcrux or donated the items. We have also gotten the purchase logs from Pansy and we can start going through those to see if we can find who sold Spencer the snuff box. As Pansy wasn’t sure if it was purchased at the auction last week with the rest of the items we collected, we will have to go back a few months if not a year to see if we can find it. Luckily it’s not a shop with a huge amount of turnover and he kept meticulous records, so it shouldn’t take too long. Here, I will give you this list and I will start with this one” Charlotte instructed. Harry took the sheets of paper and headed back to his office. He began searching through the items and while this kind of work was tedious, Harry didn’t mind it so much as it was like finding pieces that fit together to solve a larger unknown puzzle. He kept working until he heard a knock at his door. He looked up as a head peeked through the open doorway.

“Hey handsome, can I buy you lunch?” Draco drawled smirking at Harry.

“You can as long as my husband doesn’t find out, he’s very much the jealous type” Harry answered coyly. 

“Well as you are the fittest man I have ever seen, he has every right to be possessive of you” Draco snarked back. Harry laughed and got up from his desk to give his husband a kiss and grabbed his coat.

“What brings you by? Where are the boys?” Harry asked.

“They’re at Molly’s. I ran out of a few potion ingredients so I asked her to watch them while I ran to a few of my suppliers. You know I hate buying things unseen. Since I was close by, I thought I would see if you wanted to get lunch. I know you have a new case and if someone doesn’t check in on you, you are more than likely not going to notice that you should stop and eat” Draco replied with a smirk.

“Hey, I would have stopped eventually, but you’re probably right, it wouldn’t have been of my own volition” Harry shrugged. 

“That’s why you have me and I will always take care of my most precious possession” Draco grabbed Harry’s arse as they made their way into the lifts.   
“Now I can’t tell whether you’re talking about me or my arse.” Harry grumbled

“Both” Draco replied with a smile, “always both.”

Harry rolled his eyes and stepped out of the lift. “It’s a good thing I love you because you are incorrigible” 

They made their way to a little sandwich shop a few blocks away from the Ministry that they went to every once and while. They ordered sandwiches and crisps and water and sat at one of the tables outside. They settled into a comfortable silence as they started eating their lunch. 

“This is really good” Draco sighed in contentment. “So any news on the case?” 

“Not yet. The magical forensics team has to wait for their lead scientist to get back from another case and they are still looking at all the objects we brought back. Charlotte and I are looking into who sold the snuffbox to Spencer but no real leads yet.” Harry answered with a sigh.

“You’ll get there, you are one of the top investigators for a reason, love” Draco smiled at Harry. “You have mayo on your cheek by the way” Draco said reaching across the small table with a napkin to wipe Harry’s cheek. 

“My hero” Harry fluttered his eyelids and smirked

“No, that’s your title” Draco replied cheekily as Harry rolled his eyes.

“Have you gotten a hold of Pansy?” Harry asked.

“Ya. I rang her on her mobile this morning. She was a little surprised that I called, but after the initial stilted pleasantries we fell into it just like old times. I am going to meet her for coffee tomorrow morning while the boys are at my mother’s.”

“Did she sound like she was keeping it together? I’m worried for her.” Harry inquired.

“She seemed down, but managing I think. It’s hard to tell over the phone though. I will make sure to tell her that if she needs anything to just call us. I know that you aren’t supposed to have a personal interest in your cases but I doubt many people at the ministry will be banging down your door to take the case, unless it is to see their skewed sense of justice handed down and to make it worse for her.”

“Yes! That’s what I told Charlotte this morning when she brought it up. I don’t want her to be hurt anymore than she already has and there are still arses in the ministry who will see her name and try to take her down or worse. So Charlotte agreed to keep this case just between us and leave Pansy’s maiden name out of any paperwork. She doesn’t have magic so we will pretend that she is a muggle the same as her husband.” 

They finished their food and began walking back to the Ministry. When they reached the entrance to the atrium Draco kissed Harry goodbye and Harry walked through the doors. 

Harry reached the lifts and headed back to his office. He hoped he could finish going through the list from the morning so he could start looking into the sellers. He walked towards his office, but then he heard Charlotte call his name. He walked to her office instead.

“What’s up Char?” 

“Hi Harry, how was lunch?”

“It was great. Did you stop for a break yourself?”

“I did get to the canteen for a bite, but my favourite person wasn’t there so I ate in my office” Charlotte joked.

“Hey, don’t blame your anti-social ways on me you recluse!” Harry replied with feigned indignation. 

Charlotte chuckled and then continued, “Anyway, I have a few names from my list that sold snuff boxes to Spencer and I thought we could cross reference so we aren’t duplicating our work. Did you get a chance to finish your list?”

“I’m almost done. Give me thirty minutes and I will come to your office with my list” Harry replied.

“Sounds good. I will go to the lab and see if they have made any progress while you do that”

Harry turned with a mock salute and made his way back to his office. He got back to his list and thirty minutes later made his way back to Charlotte’s office. 

“Hey, any news from the lab,” he asked as he sat down. 

“They got some traces they are investigating further and one magical trace they think will lead to a person of interest. I told them to keep me updated and they should have something by the end of the day” Charlotte replied.

“That’s something at least. So here is my list. I have five names, three of which sold to Spencer on multiple occasions. I also have two auction houses that he buys from regularly”. Harry took Charlotte’s list as she looked over his shoulder. “You have those three names as well and only 4 names I don’t have. I know Pansy said that the Horcrux may have been with the auction deliveries but without Spencer to confirm where that particular item came from we’ll just have to check all of the sellers and narrow it down. So we have nine names to cross reference with the school registry and to see if any are wizards or witches. If we get any hits we can interview them tomorrow and Friday. We can also go to the auction houses to see if they have records of what Spencer purchased there as he didn’t always have a complete sellers list from them.” Harry stated.

“Sounds like a plan. Shall we head to the records room now?” Charlotte smiled innocently.

“Er, um, I was actually hoping you could convince them to let us look through the records here, you know so we can have peace and quiet and… You know how they treat me there!” Harry’s voice burst out, “So much adulation and way too many dewy eyed witches. They know I’m married to a bloke, but does that stop them! NO! I have kids for Merlin’s sake!” Harry started to get more and more exasperated.

“That's why they love you. A hero and a father with adorable kids. It’s totally swoon worthy”

“Swoon worthy, it’s annoying is what it is” Harry muttered bitterly.

“Alright, I will go and request the registry to be delivered to the conference room. They will be sorely disappointed that you didn’t come with me but I will tell them that you had an important call to make to the Minister for Magic and the Queen of England and were simultaneously saving a baby kneazle from a tree” Charlotte skipped out of the office easily avoiding the paper ball Harry threw at her as she left laughing. Shaking his head he went into the break room to make tea for himself and his horribly annoying partner. When Charlotte returned ten minutes later she told Harry that when the records staff found out that the request was for a case Harry was working on they made sure that it would be delivered promptly. Harry rolled his eyes and handed Charlotte her tea without putting sugar in it. She took a sip and almost gagged.   
“Hey! You didn’t put sugar in my tea, you know I take sugar!”

“Yes I do, and you know I hate using my name to get favours!”

“I didn’t use your name for a favour, they noticed your name on the case file you plonker!” Charlotte replied shuddering at the bitter after taste in her mouth. 

“Oh” Harry replied sheepishly “Sorry, here’s your sugar. I should have known you wouldn’t do that to me” 

“You bet your arse I would if need be, but it wasn’t” Charlotte replied throwing a snarky grin over her shoulder as she walked to the conference room. Harry again rolled his eyes and followed. The registry appeared on the table a minute later and they began using scrying spells to find if any of the names on their sellers list were witches or wizards. The repeat sellers were not in the registry, but two names came up as having attended Hogwarts.   
“Percival Gladstone and Elaine McTavish. Not ringing any bells as former death eaters, but we should go check them out” Charlotte said.

“Sounds good. How about we start with Gladstone in the morning around 10 and then we can drop in on McTavish after lunch” Harry suggested.

“Brilliant. I have a few errands I need to run beforehand so I will meet you there” Charlotte countered. 

“Great. I’m off. The boys wanted pizza for dinner so I will have time to get the ingredients instead of calling for a takeaway” Harry smiled at the thought of make-your-own pizza night. 

“Have a good night Harry and give those boys a hug from their aunty Char”

“Will do, and we should have Aunty Char over for dinner soon,” Harry replied. 

“That’ll be fun, I enjoy spending time with those two rascals” Charlotte smiled as she left the conference room.

Harry gathered his coat and bag and set off for home. He stopped at the local M&S food mart and bought the ingredients he needed for pizza. He also grabbed a bottle of Draco’s favourite wine and a small treat for desert. He arrived at home and made his way into the kitchen. He had just finished setting out all the things they would need to make the pizzas when he heard the door open and what sounded like a herd of elephants run down the hallway. He walked to the entryway just as James ran by. “James Sirius Malfoy-Potter!” Harry spoke calmly but with an edge to his voice that brokered no nonsense. “We do not run down the hallway like a wild Crup is chasing us do we?!”

“No Daddy, I sorry, I just wanted to beat Scorp to the TV because he said he would make us watch Peppa Pig and I ha-do not like Peppa Pig” James caught himself. They had a rule that hate was not a word that they used lightly and that there were better ways to voice their dislike of something. Harry crouched down and brought James into his arms. He looked into his son’s eyes and said, “I am not fond of Peppa myself, but we still do not run in the hallway. We could hurt ourselves or someone else” 

“Sorry Daddy, I will try to ‘member”

“Remember” Harry corrected smiling. “Thank you for apologizing, now you and Scorp need to go to the powder room to wash your hands because we are going to make our own pizzas for dinner.”

“We are going to make them? Ourselves? COOL! SCORP WE ARE GOING TO MAKE PIZZA!” 

“James! He is right behind you! You don’t need to yell,” Harry sighed. James was so impulsive and loud. He loved his son but sometimes he could be too much to handle. James mumbled sorry again and Harry kissed his head. 

“It’s ok, just calm down a bit buddy. Now go wash up and then come to the kitchen”. 

James and Scorpius walked quickly to the powder room and Draco walked with Harry into the kitchen. 

“This is going to be interesting, wherever did you get this insane idea Potter?” Draco looked at the ingredients dubiously. 

“I was watching a show and a family was making pizza together. It looked fun and easy enough and I thought it would be a good way for the boys to start learning how to cook” Harry replied

“Yes, but one of our sons is a menace and the other is not far behind!” Draco said 

“They’re not so bad, besides how much trouble can they get into, we will be right there” Harry countered with more confidence than he felt.

“Well we won’t know until we try,” Draco said with a sigh.

“That’s the spirit” Harry said with a dry smile.

“We’re all clean!” Scorpius announced as he and James came into the kitchen. Their eyes grew wide as they saw all the pizza ingredients laid out on the counter.

“Ok” said Harry, “We are going to start with putting sauce on the crust.”

“Wait, wait wait, first we are going to put on aprons and roll up our sleeves”, Draco cut in. Draco shook his head at his husband. Sometimes Harry was just as impetuous as their sons in his enthusiasm to try new things as well as find ways for them to have new experiences as a family. He loved him for it, but also found it endearingly exasperating.

“Right, aprons and sleeves boys” Harry blushed lightly. Once they were ready to get a little messy, Harry put a pizza crust in front of each boy and he and Draco helped them spread the tomato sauce and add the veg and cheese. James’ pizza looked like a cheesy mountain and Scorpius had a lot of fun putting one of each of the vegetables on his pizza to create a face. Then he covered the top with cheese for the “hair”. Harry and Draco made their pizzas, less artistically, but more in keeping with a traditional pizza and then they put them into the oven. The boys sat on their knees staring through the oven door as the pizzas cooked and Harry and Draco cleaned the counters. Putting the leftover ingredients into the fridge, Harry looked at Draco with a raised eyebrow, “So, was it as bad as you anticipated?”

“No, it went rather smoothly, although I will withhold my judgement until they have tried their creations. I’m not sure how well they are going to turn out” Draco replied with a doubtful look on his face. 

“It’ll be fine, because they made them they will be more inclined to at least try it and if not we can always share ours with them, they won’t eat tons anyway” Harry replied more enthusiastically than was warranted. Once the cheese was melted, they took their creations out of the oven and let them cool a bit. Then they all sat at the round oak table and tried their pizzas. James declared that his was a cheesy masterpiece and Scorpius enthusiastically ate each topping on the “face” and then he ate the crust with just the sauce and “hair” left. Harry smirked when the boys had finished their meal, much to the chagrin of Draco who conceded defeat and said, 

“You’ve won this round Potter, but you may not be so lucky next time”

Harry grabbed his chin, wiped a bit of tomato sauce from the corner of his mouth and leant in closer. “I always win when it counts” and before Draco could reply, grabbed the empty plates to start the dishes. The boys came over when Harry called them and helped to put the cutlery in the drawers once they were dried. Then they went into the study to watch a show and play before bed. Harry and Draco had established a no work time between dinner and the boys bedtime so that the boys never felt like they were less important than whatever work their fathers needed to get done, so Harry and Draco settled on the couch to chat quietly while the boys drew and coloured while watching a cartoon. 

“Papa look at the potion I drew” Scorpius crawled over to Draco to show a drawing of what looked like a cauldron with purple steam billowing out the top” 

“Oh that's brilliant love, can you tell me what potion that is?”

“It’s one I made up, it gives you the ability to be super strong so you can lift heavy things like cars or Hippogriffs” Scorpius explained.

“That sounds like a great potion to have” Draco replied with a smile. What ingredients do you need to add to make the potion?”

“Lots of plants because Daddy says veg makes you strong. I think milk and chicken too” Scorpius added knowledgeably. 

“That sounds great! Why don’t you draw them so that we will remember what to put in it?” Draco encouraged him. Scorpius nodded and set back to work.

“Daddy?” James called, “Can you help me draw a lion, I will colour it, but I can’t get the face to look good”

“Well I don’t know if I will be any better than you Jamie, but I’ll try” Harry crawled over to his son.

“Ok, so here is the face and here is the mane. How does that look?” Harry asked a few minutes later.

“Brill Dad! Now I will colour it” James smiled at Harry and started colouring. 

Fifteen minutes later Draco announced that it was time for bed, and after a few seconds of pleading to stay up later the boys headed upstairs followed by their fathers. They had their baths, brushed their teeth and got into their pajamas. Tonight was Draco’s turn to read a story and the boys chose Robin Hood. They loved the illustrations in the book and always asked to have Draco spell them to move. After kisses and hugs, Harry and Draco stepped out into the hall with a final “good night” and headed back downstairs. 

Draco told Harry that he had a bit of paperwork to catch up on for his latest orders and Harry said he was fine with that as he wanted to prepare for his interviews tomorrow. They sat together in the study and finished their respective tasks. Draco finished first, so he went into the kitchen to make some tea and brought it back just as Harry finished the last of his questions. They settled into the lounge by the fire and talked more about the little domestic things that needed to get done in the next few days and then decided to turn in early as they were both tired from their days. 

Harry asked Draco if he was nervous about seeing Pansy tomorrow while they sat reading in bed and Draco replied that he was a little, but he hoped that they would get past the awkwardness quickly. Harry assured him that they would, as he had found it pretty easy to be around Pansy while he was at her house, and Draco knew her even better than Harry did. They turned off the lights and settled into sleep with Draco wrapping his arms around Harry. “Goodnight love” he murmured into Harry’s hair. 

“Night” Harry sighed as he snuggled closer.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco meets with Pansy. Harry and Charlotte are hitting dead ends.

Draco stepped through the large fireplace into his mother’s lounge. She had moved into a townhouse in the Kensington area of London and while the place was still upscale and beautifully decorated it was not as grand as the manor had been, which was why Draco and Narcissa loved it. The manor had been sold and torn down by a muggle born developer and the once sprawling lands of the Malfoy estate were being turned into a new magical subdivision with subsidized housing for war widows and families that could not afford housing costs. The townhouse she now lived in was light and airy and decorated in her tastes rather than the traditional tastes that were prevalent in the manor. There was also a room dedicated solely to the boys when they visited with toys and books to entertain them. The boys loved spending time with their Gran and she always seemed younger when they were around. Draco was so pleased that she had not only embraced his choice of partner, but full heartedly accepted his boys as though they were her own. When Harry and he had told her that they planned to have children via surrogacy, she was very supportive and doted on Luna just as much as any mother would with their own child who was pregnant. Luna being the gracious and forgiving soul that she was, had warmed to Narcissa quickly and they had long chats about flowers and gardening. The two stayed close even after the boys had been born and Luna often came by for tea and girl time as Narcissa called it. 

“Mother we’re here” Draco called.

“Good morning dear, and good morning my handsome young men, are you ready for a fun day?” Narcissa walked into the room and gave Draco a kiss on the cheek before bending down to kiss her grandsons on their hands. Scorpius giggled and kissed Narcissa on the cheek and James gave her a hug. Draco watched with a smile on his face. He loved to see his mother shower his boys with affection and not be afraid of breaking any unspoken rules that one should not allow themselves to break the reserved facade that they had both been taught to uphold. Without the pressures of being a societal figure and having to always be on a pedestal of pureblood perfection Narcissa was a much warmer and caring mother, grandmother and person in general and Draco loved her for it. 

“I will be back around two if that works for you mother, I am meeting Pansy for coffee and then I have a few errands I need to run for my shop.”

“That sounds fine. Tell Pansy how sorry I am for what she is going through and if there is anything that I can do to help, you will let me know. As for the boys and I, we will be heading to the park for a while and if the boys are amenable we might even have a picnic there.” Narcissa looked at her grandsons to see if they were listening. Scorpius had a quizzical look on his face.

“What’s amm...ammen...amenble mean Gran?”

“It means if you two think you would enjoy a picnic at the park then we can include that into our plans” Narcissa explained with a fond smile on her face. Scorpius looked at James and they both grinned. 

“We are amenble Gran” James tried to speak with Narcissa’s more refined accent and failed miserably to the enjoyment of Draco and Narcissa who hid her smile behind her hand.

‘Well then gentlemen, let us head to the kitchen to pack our lunch and then we can head to the park.” 

“Yay!” the boys shouted in unison and ran off towards the kitchen.

“Let me know if you need me to come back early, I know they can be a handful mother” Draco said as Narcissa turned to follow the boys.

“Nonsense dear, we will have a grand time, you forget that I am not afraid to use the grandmother look if they get too out of hand. She laughed lightly.

“Oh yes” Draco mocked shuddered “the dreadful grandmother look could freeze even the naughtiest of boys”

“Exactly, even grown ones like you. Now be off and enjoy your coffee date” 

  
“Thank you mother” Draco blew a kiss and stepped back into the fireplace calling out his work place as it was closer to the cafe where he was meeting Pansy and he could gather his list for later while he was there. 

Draco gathered what he needed from his office at the back of the shop and then went out the back door and started towards the cafe a few streets down. He was a little nervous to see Pansy and hoped that she would feel safe talking to him about all that had happened between the war and now. It was a long span of time and Draco knew that a lot had changed. He also hoped that she could still be the same feisty witch he had grown up with. He worried that the tragic things that had befallen her may have left her scarred and broken, but with what Harry said and the character he knew Pansy had, he hoped that she had come through it all with the same grit that she showed when they were in the middle of the war and had to do what they could to survive. He also was intrigued by her husband and how they had met and married. He also hoped that Harry would find him soon so that Pansy would have her husband back to care for and be cared for by. He knew that if Harry had suddenly gone missing he would be an absolute wreck but would try to be strong for his boys. He shuddered thinking about it. With all those thoughts swirling around in his head he pushed on the door leading into the cafe and immediately saw the black hair and chiseled face of his long time friend.

“Pansy!” He walked quickly to her and without thinking pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged him back just as tightly. “You utter Bint, you should have reached out to me. I would have helped. I love you like a sister. You knew that!” he scolded lightly.

“I’m sorry Draco, I did know that, but I was afraid, and a little ashamed. I didn’t know if my actions during the war would change how you saw me after you got together with Harry and I was ashamed that I hadn’t reached out during your trials” she confessed.

“We were both idiots. I should have tried to reach out too, but I knew you had gone into hiding and I wasn’t sure if my attention would have been welcome. Can we start fresh? I want to be there for you now in any way I can.” Draco responded. They sat down and Pansy grasped his hands across the table. 

“Of course Darling, I need more people in my life, especially now. I am completely gutted not knowing what has happened to Spencer and while Blaise is a dear, he is not so great at dealing with all of my emotions. Not that you were always great at that either, but I am hoping that married life will have given you the insight that a self proclaimed confirmed bachelor will not have” Pansy confided. 

“So start from the beginning, how did you meet Spencer?” Draco leaned forward as he sipped his coffee. 

“Well I had just gotten out of the hospital and I was wondering what I was going to do now that I had no way to protect myself, not that it had helped anyway, and I came across this cute little cafe. I was feeling like coffee would help solve some of my problems and went in. It was really full inside which is a good sign, but not when you are trying to find a place to sit and stew, so after I ordered my coffee, I looked around and there was a man sitting at a table by himself. I went over to him to ask if he minded sharing the table with me, and that was it. He looked in my eyes and smiled in answer to my query and I was done for. His smile, Draco, lit up the whole damn shop. I mean I was stunned into silence and you know how hard that is to do. I immediately was tongue tied and sat down and almost missed the chair. He chuckled at that and asked if I needed help. I smiled at him I think and said he had helped me already, and then we started chatting and I immediately relaxed. It was so easy. It was like I had known him for years. He is that way with everyone. He can talk to the most cantankerous customer and they will leave the shop smiling. I fell in love with him so quickly, I was almost afraid at how much I liked him after that one meeting. He gave me his number and of course I had no idea what to do with it, but apparently that was a good sign according to Blaise. So I got myself a mobile and called him a few days later. We went out for dinner and a movie, and let me tell you that was quite the experience. He asked if I had ever seen one before because my reactions were so extreme so I told him that my parents were overbearing and did not allow me to go to the movies, so this was my first time and he made a joke about taking my cinematic virginity. Of course that lead to other topics that a lady does not reveal, but suffice it to say it was a very enjoyable evening” Pansy smirked at the expression on Draco’s face.

“He sounds wonderful. Did you ever tell him about being a witch?” Draco was wondering how that would have gone down.

“Well I debated at first because I was no longer one, and did not see the need to reveal something that was a moot point, but in the end Blaise convinced me that I did not want to continue a relationship that was heading somewhere serious with a lie, even a lie by omission. So I did tell him about who I was and how I grew up and what had happened and while he was disbelieving at first, he said that he could tell that I had been withholding something huge about myself and if that this was real, then he was glad that I had told him. I asked Blaise to come over and share some magic with him, just to prove it concretely and he was amazed. He told me that growing up he had always hoped that there was something more to life than what he saw, and he always believed that there was magic of some kind out there, so he was glad that I was able to confirm that there was magic. A few days later after I let him process this information I told him that I had to come clean about another part of the magical world and my place in it so that he could really understand where I was coming from. I explained about being a pureblood, and how there was a war and that I was on the wrong side of that war. How I didn’t have a choice about what side I was on, but I said and did things that I regretted. I told him about having to leave England because of those choices and that even though I thought I was safe, it turned out I wasn’t. I told him how I had lost my magic and that I would always live looking over my shoulder because there would always be wizards and witches that thought I hadn’t paid enough. That no one on the wrong side would ever pay enough” Pansy’s eyes filled with tears as she recounted that conversation. Draco reached across the table with tears in his own eyes. He knew better than anyone how much some people still despised anyone who had been associated with the Dark Lord. 

“He then told me that those people were just as wrong as anyone because losing a part of you like I had was just as traumatizing as losing a loved one, maybe even more so. He told me that he was thankful that I shared my fears with him and then he told me that he loved me for the first time. Draco, I have never been so overcome with emotion as when those words came out of his mouth. It was like he handed me the world at that moment. I told him that I loved him too, and that he was the best thing that had ever happened in my life. It was the worst and best day” Pansy gave Draco a watery smile. “I miss him so damn much Draco, I don’t know how long I can go on without him. He is my world. I have nothing else. I need him to come home to me. I need him to be safe.” She dissolved into silent tears. Draco got up and sat in the chair beside her and held her until she pulled herself together. “I’m sorry, I know that Harry is doing his best and he will find Spencer if it’s the last thing he does, but I am just so worried that something terrible has happened to him and I just can’t cope with the fear” she whispered.

“It’s OK to be worried Pansy, I would be tearing the world apart if Harry was missing. I would move heaven and earth to find him, so believe me, I understand your frustration. Harry is working on it. It is his top priority. He is not working on anything else until he finds Spencer and brings him home to you, don’t you ever doubt that! He has located some of the sellers of the items from the shop and he will be talking to them today to see if they know anything more about the snuff box or the other items that were sold with it. Of course he won’t tell them what it really is, but he will get answers Pansy, I know he will.” Draco assured her. 

“Thank you Draco, I know he will too, he is  _ The Savior _ after all” She grinned. 

“Just don’t let him hear you call him that, he hates that moniker. He always hated the fame and attention that came with being “Harry Potter” and even if someone says it jokingly, he will pout for hours. It’s quite endearing and ridiculous” Draco admitted. “I mean, he did save us from the worst kind of evil imaginable, but he treats it like it was just another day at the office.” 

“You love that about him don’t you. You love that he is not attention seeking and arrogant even though he has every right to be. He earned that right and it is the last thing he wants” Pansy said knowingly.

“Yes, I love that he is so humble when by all accounts he should be parading around like he’s the King of England. I think that he is the best role model for our boys, better than me on that front. Our boys will grow up understanding that you do what’s right even if it is hard or unpopular and you don’t take the accolades for being a good person, you just be the best you can be no matter who is watching or not” Draco grinned thinking about his husband. 

“Oh man, if that is how I look talking about Spencer, just shoot me now” she flinched away when Draco went to swat her arm. 

“We are allowed to be happy and in love, Pansy. After all we endured, we need to know that we do deserve that even if others disagree. I will never apologize for putting more love out into the world.” Draco declared. 

“Damn straight my friend! Love wins!” Pansy agreed. Then she sighed. “I’m getting tired darling, do you mind apparating me back to Blaise’s” 

“Sure, although now that I think about it, I might have a better place for you to stay while you wait for Spencer to be found. Hang on a moment.” Draco pulled out his mobile and walked outside and rang up Narissa. 

“Hello mother, how are the boys? 

Great! I have a small request which you are under no obligation to agree too, but I was wondering if you would be willing to have Pansy stay with you. She has been staying with Blaise, but we both know that he is not the best person to offer comfort”. 

Draco waited for Narcissa to reply. 

“Thank you mother, I will extend the invitation and we will see you in a few hours.” Draco ended the call and walked back into the cafe. 

“I called my mother and she would be so happy to have you stay with her for however long you need. I know you said you are fine staying with Blaise, but we both know that he is not always empathetic or easy to live with. My mother has a guest room in her townhouse and while we see her once a week, she can be lonely sometimes. What do you say?” Draco asked kindly.

“If she’s sure, I will gladly accept. Blaise is a great friend, but having a mother type person would be much better I think. Your mother and I always got along well. Even better than me and my own mother. Which wasn’t hard actually.” Pansy's mother was not the most maternal or even the kindest person in general. 

“Great, we’ll go to Blaise’s and pick up your things and then we can apparate to my mother’s. You can meet my boys. I know they will love to get to know their aunt Pansy”

“Aunt Pansy!” Pansy exclaimed, “Are you trying to make me cry again Draco! I would be honored to be called Aunt!” Pansy gave Draco a tight hug. 

“Well let’s go then” Draco returned the hug and then led Pansy to the apparition point a couple streets away. 

Harry was not having as easy of a day as Draco and Pansy. He and Charlotte had finished interviewing Percival Gladstone and Elaine McTavish and they had not sold the snuff box to Spencer. Harry believed them because they were able to describe their items with good detail and those details did not match the details of the Horcrux.

‘Well I guess we can start looking into the Muggles tomorrow” Charlotte sighed as they walked away from Elaine McTavish’s house. “Do we want to go to the auction houses now and see if we can get the records?”

“We might as well, we’re close to both of them so it won’t take long” Harry agreed.

They apparated to an alley near the first auction house, Roseberys. The lady at the front desk was able to quickly find Spencer’s purchase records which listed where each item or group of items came from. They thanked the clerk and went back to the alley to apparate to the next auction house, Ewbank's Auction house. The clerk there told them that the records were in the manager’s office and he was away until Tuesday. They left their contact information and what records they needed and the clerk told them he would make sure the manager would get the records ready for them as soon as possible. Harry and Charlotte then made their way back to the Ministry. They duplicated the list from the auction house and started to look for the snuffbox. 

“I found it!” Harry exclaimed at the same time as Charlotte. They both smiled at each other but their smiles dimmed a little as they saw that they were looking at two different purchases. Both listed silver snuff boxes with etched designs but without a picture it would be impossible to know which one was the Horcrux. 

“Why does this have to be so complicated” groaned Harry. “Why can’t it just be, here’s the death eater who made the Horcrux and BAM, we arrest him and lock him up after he tells us where Spencer is.” 

“Because that would be too easy and we aren’t the easy mystery department, we’re the Unsolved Mystery Department. This is not a 30 min cartoon mystery show Harry. We don’t just stumble onto the solution, unmask the perpetrator, and eat Scooby snacks!” Charlotte reminded him sarcastically.

“I know” Harry whined, “but it would be much faster if that was how it worked.” 

“Yes, but then you wouldn’t enjoy the chase” Charlotte reminded him.

“You’re right, but it also would mean that Pansy would have her husband back sooner” Harry sighed.

“I know, and that has me upset as well but we are moving as fast as we can. We can’t do much over the weekend so we will put all our effort into looking into these two sellers tomorrow, as well as a few of the muggle sellers, and then go from there.” Charlotte patted Harry on the shoulder and told him she was going to call it a night. Harry asked if she wanted to come over for dinner, but she said that she was going to meet up with Pat and get him up to speed on the case in case they had to deal with Scotland yard later.

“Ok, thanks partner” Harry stood up and went to his office to pack up his things so he could head home. He hoped that Draco was able to help Pansy more than he was able to at the moment. 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more family fluff and the creator of the Horcrux is revealed.

When Harry arrived home he heard singing in the kitchen. He took off his shoes and hung up his coat and bag. He quietly made his way to the kitchen door and leaned against the doorframe looking at the scene before him. Draco had the wireless on and was swaying and singing along to the music as he stirred the something on the hob. The boys were not around so Harry assumed they were watching the telly. Draco still hadn’t noticed Harry so he softly padded over to his husband and wrapped his arms around his waist. Draco let out a little squeak but then relaxed in Harry’s embrace as Harry continued the swaying rhythm Draco had been moving to. 

“I love when you sing and dance, it makes me all hot and bothered, but just looking at you does that to me anyway” Harry whispered into Draco’s ear. Draco turned in Harry’s arms after putting the wooden spoon onto the counter.

“I like dancing with you, it makes me feel warm and safe” Draco replied kissing Harry deeply. 

“Dinner smells amazing love, and so do you, Harry snuggled into the crook of Draco’s neck, breathing deeply, as they continued to sway back and forth. “How was your coffee date with Pansy?”

“It went well, she is distraught of course but she is putting on that stiff upper lip we Slytherins perfected in the womb. She is going to be staying at my mother’s until Spencer is found as Blaise is a great friend but not so great as a flatmate. Mother is thrilled of course as she likes Pansy more than me.” Draco pretended to sigh sadly but it was ruined by a small cheeky smile. 

“I’m sure she is just happy to help someone who needs mothering” Harry laughed, “We have each other and she has no one at home anymore. I think she’s lonely sometimes.” Harry continued quietly.

“I think so too, I just wish that they were getting reacquainted under better circumstances. Pansy is very thankful to have some mother time as she never had that from her own mother and really loved it when my mother would treat her as though she was my sister.” Draco replied. Then turning back to the hob he asked Harry to get the noodles out of the pantry. They finished cooking dinner side by side with inconsequential chit chat and teasing. When dinner was ready, Harry walked into the lounge to see the boys sprawled out on the floor building towers with their blocks. 

“Daddy! Look at the castle we made! Does it look like Hogwarts, Daddy? We don’t know what Hogwarts really looks like, but Papa says it has 4 towers and a big bridge and a great hall so we are trying to make those.” Scorpius rambled as James kept constructing the last tower.

“Yes Scorp, it does look a lot like Hogwarts! Great job men! It’s time for dinner though, so you can finish building after we eat. Now it’s time to go wash your hands and then you can tell me all about your morning with Gran”

“Ok Daddy, let’s go Scorp!” James hopped up and grabbed Scorpius’ hand. Harry smiled as the boys made their way to the powder room. Once everyone was settled in the kitchen and had filled their plates with pasta, James launched into a story about a dog they saw at the park and how the owner had let them throw a ball for the dog to chase. 

“I threw the ball so far Daddy, the dog had to run so much and his tongue was hanging out like this” James lolled his tongue out and began panting.

“Jamie, you need to stop, you’re getting sauce on me” Scorpius reprimanded. 

“James Sirius, we love your acting skills but you need to make sure your mouth is empty please” Draco gave James the eyebrow and James closed his mouth and looked sheepish.

“Sorry Scorp, sorry Papa” James mumbled.

“That’s quite alright, but we should always remember to speak with an empty mouth right?” Draco reminded him.

“Yes Papa” James smiled, “but the doggy had his mouth full of spit while he barked at me to throw the ball, he got the ball all wet, it was gross. Gran made me wash my hands right after I finished playing with him because she said my hands were covered in dog germs. What are germs? Are they bad for me?”

“Some germs can make you sick, but dog germs won’t make you sick, it’s just not a good idea to keep your hands sticky with dog spit” Harry answered. “What was your favourite part of the park Scorp?” Harry asked his other son. 

“I loved watching the ducks on the pond. Gran said next time we can feed them seeds. She said some people feed them bread, but that too much bread can make the ducks feel sick” Scorpius recalled.

“That’s true. Their tummies can’t digest the bread like our tummies can, so we should feed them the things that are better for them.” Draco told his son.

“I don’t want to make the ducks sick. I like watching them swim across the water. How do they move so quickly? Do they have motors like Grandpa Arthur’s car?” Scorpius scrunched his forehead in confusion.

Harry smiled, “No buddy, they paddle their feet really fast in the water and it makes them glide through the water really fast. Especially if they think they might get a treat, just like you and James can run really fast when we call you for dessert.” 

“Oh, they must have very strong leg muscles because they can move really fast.” Scorpius looked impressed. 

“That they do” Harry chuckled. They finished their dinner and the boys brought their plates to the sink after asking if they could be excused. Then they rushed back to the lounge to finish their castle, telling their fathers that they would call them when they were done so they could see it when it was finished. Draco and Harry took advantage of the few minutes of quiet to time as they cleaned up dinner. Then Draco made tea and when the boys called that they were done he brought tea and glasses of milk for the boys into the lounge with a plate of fresh biscuits that Molly had dropped off the day before.

“Look Papa, Daddy, we finished. How does it look?” Both boys beamed up at their fathers. 

“It’s incredible boys, a real feat of engineering. It looks even better than the real Hogwarts! We should send a picture to Aunt Minnie and see if she wants to make any improvements to the castle” Harry gushed. 

“I agree, Aunt Minnie would be very pleased with how well you did making those towers and the great hall. I will get the camera, you get behind the castle and I will take a picture to send to her.” Draco directed. 

James and Scorpius cheered and carefully made their way behind the castle and threw their arms around each other and smiled so wide as Draco took a few pictures from different angles. When he was done the boys looked at each other and shouted “Here come the GIANTS!” and proceeded to smash the castle down while Harry and Draco laughed. 

“Ok boys, let’s put the blocks away so we can have our tea before bed” Draco said with a smile.

“Can you levitate them Daddy, it’s so cool to watch them fly!” James pleaded after a few minutes of cleaning. Harry winked at James and wandlessly levitated the remaining blocks back into the crate. Scorpius and James cheered as Draco muttered “Show off”

“You love it” Harry winked.

“Seeing my husband use his super powers to clean up the remains of a ruined castle, absolutely not!” Draco replied with his nose in the air.

“Liar” Harry laughed, “I know it gets you all hot when I do wandless magic, you can’t fool me Draco Malfoy-Potter” Harry whispered in his husband’s ear.

“Yes well, I have always had a thing for powerful men, and so of course I chose the most powerful one in the world” Draco leaned over and kissed Harry.

“EWWWWW no kissing in front of the children” Scorpius cried. Both men burst out laughing and then sprung up from their seats to tackle their sons with kisses and tickles. This of course led to a tickle war that Draco eventually won. They finished their milk and biscuits and then Harry declared it was time for bed. The boys scampered upstairs to start the bathtub filling and Harry brought the mugs and plates to the kitchen to start cleaning themselves as Draco followed the boys upstairs to make sure they didn’t flood the bathroom. Once they were cleaned and in their pajamas they snuggled into James’ bed as Harry read them a story. Tonight was Robinhood again, which made James happy. After a chapter, Scorpius was nodding off and James was yawning every few seconds. Harry lifted Scorpius into his arms and transferred him onto his bed. Leaning down he kissed his forehead and whispered, “I love you little mister”

“I love you big mister” Scorpius mumbled back sleepily. Harry kissed him again and moved back to James’ bed. 

“I love you buddy, sweet dreams” Harry whispered as he kissed James on the forehead. James wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck and kissed his cheek. “Love you daddy, you are the bestest”

He and Draco made their way out of the room quietly and headed back down to the lounge hand in hand.

“Do you ever feel like you don’t quite deserve those two? I mean they can be right terrors sometimes but most of the time they just seem unreal and too perfect” Harry glanced at Draco as they sat down together on the couch and saw that his eyes were filled with tears but he was smiling.

“I totally feel that way too. I just can’t understand how I can love them so much and yet everyday I just love them even more. I also love you so much and sometimes I can’t handle watching you love on them. It makes me so emotional.” Draco crawled into Harry’s lap as they sat on the couch.

“I love you Draco, more everyday” Harry whispered into Draco’s hair as he pulled Draco closer. 

“We are just two big saps aren’t we” Draco muttered with a watery laugh. 

“We sure are, but with good reason” Harry replied.

“Let’s watch something funny so we don’t just turn into a puddle of goo” Draco suggested.

“Sounds great love, shall I make some popcorn and get some beer?” Harry asked

“Sure, in a minute” Draco snuggled into Harry a little further, holding him tight. Harry chuckled at his husband but tightened his hold anyway. 

The next day Harry met Charlotte in the atrium of the Ministry and they made their way to the apparition point together. They went to three of the muggle’s sellers homes and after asking them about their sold items, they determined that they were not the owners of the snuff box turned Horcrux. They then contacted the Auction house sellers and again, came up empty. Harry was getting more and more frustrated. It had been a week since Spencer had gone missing and they were no closer to finding him. Every time they talked to a new seller, Harry got his hopes up that they would be the one, and then they weren’t. By noon he was so irritable that Charlotte threatened to send him home. Then suggested they get lunch and regroup. 

“You need to calm down Harry, you aren’t going to get anywhere with these people if you snap at them. They aren’t purposefully trying to nark you off, and if they don’t know anything then we can’t make them confess.” Charlotte admonished. Harry flushed and mumbled that he knew that but he just wanted a lead of any kind, no matter how small. “I know Harry, I do too, but we can’t just make it happen through sheer will, we will find out what happened, you just need to breathe” Charlotte sighed and then suggested that they head back to the Ministry as the head magic forensic scientist was due back that morning and they might have more information to reveal. Harry agreed that that was a good idea because interviewing any more clients would not end well for anyone, even though he was slightly less cranky after eating. 

They arrived at the Ministry and headed straight for the forensics lab. It was a part of the DMLE but was a newer department and so it was stuck in the lower levels of the ministry. After a long lift ride, Harry and Charlotte entered the reception room to the labs. It was a hexagon shaped room with windows all around showing the different stations set up for different forensic testing needs. Charlotte walked up to the receptionist and asked if they were able to speak to Dr. Brennan. The receptionist told them to wait there and she would see if she was free. A few moments later Dr. Amelia Brennan walked into the waiting area followed by two of her assistants, Susan Bones and Padma Patil. 

“Potter, Stone, thank you for coming down, I was just going to send you a note to come and see me when you could. I have a few things that I think you might find helpful”

The assistants gave Harry a friendly smile and nod as Amelia asked him and Charlotte to come with her to the conference room down the hall. They entered a room which looked very clinical to Harry. A large white table surrounded by white rolly chairs. There was a projection screen on one wall but no other decoration or artifacts adorning the other walls. Amelia, Padma, and Susan sat down at one end of the table and motioned for Charlotte and Harry to take seats at the other. Amelia started explaining what they knew so far. 

“We know for a fact that it is indeed a Horcrux. It was made within the last 15 to 20 years. We have yet to conclusively determine the creator, although we have a family name. We have however come across a secondary trace signature that has us a little stymied. Usually in Horcrux creation one piece of a person’s soul or essence is captured inside a container or vessel. This Horcrux however, seems to contain not one but two distinct personal signatures. One is the creator’s and the other is unknown. We sent a team to the crime scene to see if we could find a matching signature and they are running a diagnostic test as we speak. Through a preliminary diagnosis however, I am fairly certain that it will come back as the shop owner”

“The owner is dead then?!” Harry exclaimed in dismay. “How could that even happen? He didn’t kill anyone that we know of, so how did his soul get into the Horcrux?”

“Actually, we are not sure he is dead. Just because we can sense a secondary essence in the Horcrux, does not mean that the person is dead. Now this is more the Department of Mysteries area of expertise mind you, but our running theory is that the shop owner has been pulled into another dimension so to speak. I have heard that you are aware of the Mysteries of Death room?” Harry blanched. 

“Yes, my Godfather died there” Harry said quietly. Amelia smiled kindly and continued. 

“If we think of the veil in that room as a doorway to another dimension, someone can slip through the veil and will go into the beyond. We think that the shop owner may have been transported through the veil but he is stuck in between our world and the beyond. If we can figure out how this happened, we may be able to bring him back to the realm of the living.”

“Is that what happened to Tom Riddle’s soul? I think I have been to the place you are talking about.” Harry looked a little uneasy. He did not like thinking about that day in the Forbidden Forest if he could help it, but what Amelia was describing was starting to sound familiar. 

“I am not sure what you experienced Potter, but maybe my colleagues can shed some light on that. Patil and Bones have experience in the DoM and they are the ones that have been trying to determine what happened.” Amelia gestured to Susan to pick up where she left off.

“We have been studying the Horcrux for a few days and the first time we got near it we felt light headed and Padma almost fainted” Susan began. 

“That happened to Harry as well. His blood pressure dropped extremely quickly and he passed out for a few minutes” Charlotte replied.

“We think it has something to do with the two souls inside the Horcrux. It is like they are fighting each other and the magical energy that creates can influence the people that get too close to it. It can also affect those that have had prolonged exposure to a Horcrux in the past. Harry, can you confirm a theory for me. I am going to guess that you fit this description and you have been in direct contact with a Horcrux before, yes?” Padma asked. 

Harry shifted in his seat and replied, “Can you promise that what I am about to tell you will not go beyond this room and will only be used as confirmation of a theory and not lead to me becoming a lab rat?” Harry asked with trepidation.

“Of course Harry, we will only use this information to help solve the case, nothing more, and we will vow to keep the information to ourselves.” Susan assured him.

“I was both in possession of a number of Horcruxes made by Tom Riddle and I was also a Horcrux myself.” Harry watched as the women around him reacted to this revelation.

“WHAT!” Amelia cried, as Charlotte grabbed Harry’s arm and Susan and Padma clutched their chests in shock. Harry took a deep breath before giving them information that very few people knew, and for good reason. 

“In second year I entered a memory from a diary that Tom Riddle had turned into a Horcrux and then I destroyed that diary a few months later. In what would have been our seventh year I came into possession of a locket that he had turned into a Horcrux and wore it around my neck as I tried to figure out a way to destroy it. I also held Ravenclaw’s Diadem and Hufflepuff’s cup which had also been turned into Horcruxes. When I was a baby and Riddle killed my parents, a part of his soul latched onto mine when he was ripped out of his body by the curse that failed and then I destroyed it when I went into the forbidden forest during the final battle and died” Harry relayed all this information quickly. Charlotte still clung to his arm and had turned white. The other women wore matching looks of horror mixed with intrigue. 

“So what you’re saying,” Amelia began shakily after a few moments, “Is that you were not only exposed to the darkest of magics repeatedly throughout your life, you also were a vessel for it and you had to die to rid yourself of it.”

Harry nodded at her summary as she put pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She sighed and looked at Harry in the eyes. 

“Not only is that the most horrific and insane story I have ever heard, it also explains why you were extremely affected by this horcrux as it is even more potent than the ones you dealt with. I am guessing when you held a second horcrux while being one yourself you could feel more power than your friends?” Amelia continued.

“Some of them affected Hermione and Ron, but never as much as me, even though at the time, I just thought I was weaker willed than they were but after thought and research, I figured out that handling more than one at a time would increase the potency.” Harry admitted. 

“So getting back to our Horcrux” Charlotte quietly interrupted noticing that Harry needed a moment, “How do we know that there are two souls inside, and how do we determine if one of them is Spencer’s and how do we get him out, and where is his body?” As each question left her mouth her voice got louder and more exasperated. 

“We aren’t sure, all we have are theories, and even those aren’t very well researched and have very little evidence to support them. We are bringing in a top curse breaker to see what he thinks, and the DoM Dark Arts specialist is also coming in today to take a look at it and maybe see what he can do”. Padma explained.

“We are going to find a solution because we cannot allow this evil to win another victim” Susan added. 

“Sorry, I know that you are doing everything you can, but I am just so worried that nothing can be done and we will have to tell a wife that her husband is never coming home. I just can’t do that.” Charlotte sighed, her eyes misting over. 

“Don’t worry, we are taking this seriously, not just as an academic task, but as a life and death problem that needs to be solved in a timely manner. We are hopeful that all of our teams together can come up with a solution that will bring about a happy ending.” Amelia patted Charlotte on the arm and smiled sadly. 

“Thank you, please let us know when and if you find anything that will help us solve this case, and we will continue to look for how it ended up in the shop to begin with. Have you identified the creator of the Horcrux?” Harry rejoined the conversation. 

“We think we have, we compared the magical signatures and came to a family line but not a specific person. We think it was Nott senior, but it could have been his son, however that is unlikely” Amelia confessed. “We can’t know for sure until we free the soul from it’s container, but we can’t do that until we get the other essence out.”

“Well at least we can question him and his family and find out how it got into the muggle world. If it was accidental that’s one thing, but knowing the family, it’s probably likely that they did it on purpose to spread more fear and hurt more people” Harry said bitterly. 

“Probably” agreed Amelia.

“Well, we will let you get back to figuring out this complex problem and we will do our part to figure out how it got out in the world.” Charlotte stood up and the rest of the team followed. They all shook hands and Harry and Charlotte went back up to their offices. 

“So, now we have a lead to follow, we can go to Azkaban and talk to Nott, maybe he will give us some way to release Spencer, if he is really trapped. Not that he will help us willingly, but maybe the fact that a muggle is trapped with his soul, he will be more inclined to help us.” 

“So we head home, get some rest, and head to Azkaban first thing Monday morning. We can’t go over the weekend anyway and maybe magi-forensics will have more details for us to use to get him to talk to us” Charlotte said.

“Yes” Harry sighed, “It’s been a long day, and going to that place emotionally drained will not go well for me”    
“Have a great weekend, snuggle those boys for me and recharge. I want you at your best and dealing with Nott is going to be tough, so your best is the minimum requirement.”    
“Yes boss” Harry replied sarcastically even though he felt like his emotions had gone through the ringer. 

“GO, you prat, and I will see you Monday” Charlotte sighed in exasperation but followed it up with a quick hug. 

Harry left for the lifts smiling slightly, and once he was out of the Ministry, he apparated home. He needed his family after all that he had had to divulge that afternoon.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry recounts his day and the family spends time at the zoo.

When Harry opened the door to the house, he could hear arguing coming from the lounge. He hung up his coat with a sigh. His boys usually got on really well, but every once and a while they would argue as brothers naturally do, and it could sometimes escalate quite dramatically and accidental magic was not something that Harry wanted to deal with. He walked towards the lounge but he was stopped by Draco who beckoned him over the kitchen with a finger to his lips telling Harry to keep quiet.

“What’s going on in there?” Harry asked.

“They are fighting over who is the better cook, Molly or my mother. They have been going at it for about 5 minutes now, but I think Scorpius is about to win.” 

“Who is Scorpius backing?” Harry chuckled

“My mother of course, he thinks that being able to conjure food via a house elf delivery service is more magical than cooking it yourself and James says that Molly’s cooking takes more time and effort and therefore tastes better. They have been watching this cooking competition today and they fancy themselves distinguished judges” Draco smiled fondly at how adorably ridiculous his two sons were.

“Gran saves time by having it delivered Jamie, and that means she has more time for ‘portant things like taking us to the park and telling us stories about Papa and Daddy. I think that is better than Nana Molly having to use all her time to cook the food. Her cooking sometimes tastes better, but she doesn’t always have as much time if she is busy in the kitchen.”

“Fine, Scorp. Can we say that Gran wins for having more time to spend with us but Nana Molly wins for having yummier food?” James sighed dramatically. 

“Ok, we can both win I guess, but I still think that my reasons are better.” Scorpius conceded.

“I think my reasons taste better” James countered. 

“Hey men, Daddy’s home, go wash up and come to the kitchen for dinner” Draco called when it seemed like the argument had fizzled out. 

“DADDY!” both boys yelled in unison and clammered to be picked up and snuggled.    
“Woah now buddies, you’re going to knock me down with all this wiggling” Harry chuckled. He hugged his sons briefly and then reminded them to go wash up. They dashed off and Harry followed Draco into the kitchen.    
“I am famished, lunch seems a long time ago” Harry moaned 

“Well Mr. Malfoy-Potter, you are in luck as dinner is ready and we are about to partake in it. I made curry, I hope that is to your liking.” Draco teased.

“I will eat anything you make my love, even when it tastes like cardboard, because you are the most thoughtful husband and put effort into making something to nourish our family” Harry said almost completely sincerely with just a hint of a smirk. “It’s been a rough afternoon which I will tell you about later, and I just want to spend time with my favourite guys.”

Draco looked at Harry quizzically and then walked around the table to sit on Harry’s lap. He cupped Harry’s cheeks and slowly kissed his forehead, nose and lips enjoying each point of contact. Harry’s eyes fluttered closed and relished in the feel of Draco’s weight on his lap and his lips warming his own. He leaned his forehead on Draco’s chest and breathed in the scent of Draco, bergamot and sandalwood. The boys came back from the powder room and Draco stood up tilting Harry’s chin up as he did. Harry opened his eyes and gave Draco a warm smile. Draco nodded and went to gather the dishes full of rice and chicken curry. He plated some rice,vegetables and plain chicken for the boys with a little curry sauce on the side so they could try it, and then plated some rice with curried chicken on top for Harry and himself. He gave each boy two pieces of naan bread telling them that they could have more bread when their chicken, veg and rice were gone. Harry took a bite of the curry and moaned in satisfaction.

“This is delicious love! The spice is perfect and the rice is so fluffy. I have died and gone to culinary heaven. Boys I think that Papa should win for the best cook tonight, what do you think?”

“Don’t encourage them Potter, we will never hear the end of it if they have to judge everything we do!” Draco groaned.

“Daddy’s right though Papa, this is really yummy and Nana Molly never makes curry like you, and Gran’s rice is always too sticky, but don’t tell her that because it’s rude” Scorpius said seriously. Draco and Harry shared bemused looks as the boys finished their meal.

“Don’t worry Scorp, I would never tell Gran anything that would be considered rude, she might give me a spank, and I am too old for those now!” Draco smiled at his son.

“Gran used to give you a spank? That’s not very nice. We should use our words if someone does something wrong” James looked a little outraged on Draco’s behalf.

“Well when I was growing up giving your son a spank wasn’t considered bad, it was what a lot of parents did, but now Gran knows that we use our words and she likes that much better.” Draco defended his mom.

“Good, I don’t want you to get a spank, you are a good Papa and never deserve that!” James replied emphatically.

“Thank you my love, I agree, now your Daddy on the other hand, he deserves a spanking from time to time I think” Draco winked at Harry and Harry flushed.

“NO WAY Papa, Daddy doesn’t deserve that either, you need to use your words Papa and be civ-lized. We are not baboons at the zoo!” Scorpius cried indignantly.

“Ok, I promise I will not spank Daddy for anything that he does that is bad” Draco replied with a chuckle and the boys left the table satisfied and after putting their plates in the sink they went back to the lounge.

“Now if Daddy wants a spanking for being a good boy, then who am I to deny him that” Draco smirked at Harry across the table as he once again flushed red. 

“Draco, enough, you can’t say things like that in front of the boys” Harry admonished.

“Oh relax, they don’t understand innuendos and they aren’t here anymore. I was just trying to lighten the mood darling” Draco smiled and then made his way back onto Harry’s lap. He kissed him hard and he felt Harry grow more flustered.    
“We will have to save this for later, but rest assured I will not forget this conversation and what I am picturing in my head my love” Draco purred as Harry tried to regulate his breathing. Then he stood up, gave Harry a saucy wink and went to join the boys in the lounge. 

Harry sat dazed for a few minutes and then got up and started cleaning the kitchen. The rule was whoever cooked didn’t have to clean, although once and while they would clean together, for then they could then have a moment without the boys, but tonight after all the teasing, Harry needed the time to collect himself. Merlin, but Draco knew how to press his buttons and make him picture things that were not supposed to be thought of while having a conversation around the dinner table. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts again and tried to regulate his breathing and focus on the task of cleaning up the kitchen. Once he was done, he joined his lovely boys, and his evil husband in the lounge. 

James ran over to him as he entered and asked, “Daddy, can we go to the zoo tomorrow? Or do you have to work?” James looked up at him with pleading puppy dog eyes. The same colour as Draco’s who had used that look on him many times before and it still made his heart stutter when confronted by them even now. 

“Well, with a look like that, how can I say no?” Harry smiled at his son as Draco smirked behind them. 

“YAY! WE’RE GOING TO THE ZOO!!” James yelled.

“James! Not so loud please” Draco admonished, “Now if you want to go to the zoo, you and Scorpius need to make sure your room is clean and your toys are put away in the lounge. So you might want to start that now, so that it won’t take as long in the morning. The less you need to do tomorrow the more time we’ll have to go to the zoo tomorrow. Deal?” Draco said.

“Okay Papa. Come on Scorp we need to clean up our toys so we can go to the zoo! I can’t wait to see the lions. I hope they’re not laying around like they usually do!”

“I want to see the snakes and Giraffes. I think the constrictor is so cool! Daddy can we see the constrictor?” 

“Yes, we can go to the Reptile house, but you’ll need to make sure that I don’t set it loose like the first time I went there” Harry chuckled as his sons and his husband all rolled their eyes. They had heard the story many times (it had been Scorpius’ favourite a year ago and he had demanded that it be told every time they went to the zoo) and now it was just something that Harry said to get the very reaction that they had given him. Still chuckling to himself Harry went over to sit beside Draco on the couch as the boys ran upstairs to their room. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and whispered, “If I give you that look will you give me what I want too?”

“Always” Harry admitted quickly and kissed Draco on the lips. Draco leaned his head on Harry’s shoulder and sighed. 

“You’re such a pushover Potter, you need to get a backbone. Otherwise I will take you for all you’re worth.”

“Everything I have is already yours love, that’s not much of a threat” Harry countered. 

“Oh, right” Draco pouted. “I guess I will have to think of some other things I want then.”

“It will be a hardship, but I’m sure you’ll think of something” Harry smiled. 

“I always do darling, I always do” Draco smiled as he nuzzled into the crook of Harry’s neck, breathing in his scent and sighing happily. The moment of calm came to a close as their sons came back into the lounge. They cleaned up their toys and snuggled with their fathers on the couch for a few minutes and just chatted about their day. Then they headed upstairs for their bedtime routine. 

Once the boys were settled, Harry and Draco headed back downstairs. Draco made tea and Harry brought out the Ogden’s Firewhiskey. Draco raised an eyebrow but put both cups in front of Harry and he poured a shot into both. 

“Ok love, you have me a little worried, so you’re going to need to tell me what happened today.” Draco said as he settled down beside Harry. Harry took a breath and a sip of his tea and began recounting his day.

“We met with the Magiforensics team today and they told us that not only was there one soul in the Horcrux, but there was also a secondary essence or soul inside as well. They think that the secondary essence is Spencer, but they are not sure how to release him, or if he is still alive. They have never encountered something like this, so they are calling in experts from the DoM and the head Curse Breaker to see if they can come up with a rescue plan if indeed Spencer is still alive. They also needed some information about Horcruxes and being an unwilling expert, I told them what I knew. It was not easy to relive that part of my past again and now we have to go to Azkaban to question the creator of the Horcrux, who I can’t name, so that is going to suck and I just need a weekend to get my head straight and to work on building up my mental fortitude.” Harry explained all of this in a bit of a rush as he knew Draco needed to understand what had happened, but he didn’t want to go into too much detail as he was still rather drained.

“Well, that was not what I was expecting, but now I completely understand why we brought out the big guns.” He poured another shot into each of their now empty cups and downed his in one. “So one thing at a time. They have detected two souls in the horcrux, and they think one of them could possibly be Spencer’s, but as he is a muggle, they can’t confirm it because he doesn’t have a magical signature but the lack of a magical signature confirms that it is a muggle essence?” Draco guessed as Harry nodded. “Ok. so the next question is if he is still alive, then where is his body? If it was just his soul that the Horcrux captured, his body would be left behind, so either he is magically trapped inside the Horcrux like a genie in a bottle, or his body vanished somewhere.” Again Harry nodded, and added, “they think that it has something to do with the death veil in the DoM. That’s why they’re calling that expert to weigh in on their theories. They think Spencer may be in another dimension like I was when I died”. Draco pulled Harry against him for a moment as he knew what that room reminded him of and how, even now, his grief wasn’t fully gone. He also knew that talking about how he had died and came back was not something he shared easily with others, but he would if it was helpful in solving a case. Draco then took a breath, kissed Harry on the forehead and then continued. “So now you have to go to Azkaban and talk with a death eater who created this abomination and figure out how it managed to trap or kill Spencer. Fuck darling, we should just finish the bottle at this point.” Draco shook his head. Harry gave him a small smile. “I don’t think the boys would appreciate having two hungover father’s traipsing after them tomorrow. Two shots is enough to do me in anyway, but it has also helped me to calm down a bit. Harry sighed and leaned into Draco’s sturdy frame. 

“I just wish we knew things for certain. All this theorizing and speculation drives me batty. I just want to find Spencer, and destroy the Horcrux as well as punish the creator even more than he already is being punished” Harry felt Draco pull him closer until they were laying side by side on the couch. Draco rubbed Harry’s back and stroked his hair. Draco knew that Harry needed physical touch much more than placating words even at the best of times, but in times like these where words were completely insufficient, holding Harry was the only thing he could do. Harry melted into Draco’s touch and took deep breaths breathing in his husband’s scent again. They lay there for a while just holding each other until Harry whispered, “Take me to bed and make me forget my day… please baby” Draco kissed the top of Harry’s head and pushed them into a seated position before grabbing Harry’s hand and leading him upstairs to their bedroom.

The next morning found Draco and Harry downing hangover potions and then making very strong tea as it had been a very late but very enjoyable night for the both of them. The boys were finishing up making their beds and getting dressed while Draco magically cleaned the lounge and the powder rooms and Harry made a quick breakfast of bacon sandwiches and grilled tomatoes. He then packed a picnic lunch that they could have in Regent’s park after the zoo and shrunk it down so he could carry it in his Carryall that he bought when the boys were born. He remembered how shocked he was at how much stuff he had to carry when they were babies, and now he still packed for accidents like falling in a puddle or not making it to the bathroom on time, it was still a lot less than all the diapers and formula and bottles and on and on that once plagued every trip out of the house. Harry thought fondly of those days, but was very happy they were also over. Two years ago, he and Draco had talked about trying for another child, maybe a girl this time, but it never went farther than a late night chat about how happy they were already and how they loved their family as it was. Harry shook his head and focused back on the present task of putting the breakfast on the table. He called for his family to join him in the kitchen and winced slightly as it sounded like thunder coming closer and closer as the boys ran down the stairs. He heard Draco shout out a “slow down you crazy beasts” and the thundering footsteps halted with a “sorry Papa, we are just SOOOO hungry!” “Yes, sorry Papa, we forgot” and two calmer beasts entered the kitchen and sat in their chairs with a more somber demeanour than they would have had if they hadn’t just been told off a second ago. Draco entered behind them shaking his head bemusedly and gave Harry a peck on the cheek as he sat down too. 

“Alright men, here is the plan” Harry began. “We will eat breakfast and then catch the bus to the zoo. It leaves in 45 minutes from down the street so we should be able to have a calm breakfast, finish clearing up and getting ready and be there to catch it in time. We will then explore the zoo, have lunch in the park and then catch the bus home. Does that sound like a good plan?” 

“That sounds good Daddy, I like taking the bus. Can we sit up top? I like being high” James asked.

“I don’t like the top, it’s too high” Scorpius whined.

“That’s ‘cause you’re a scaredy snake and I’m a brave lion!” James trilled

“I am not a scaredy snake!” Scorpius countered petulantly, “I just like sitting at the bottom so I can get out faster” 

“Boys, no fighting at the breakfast table” Harry cut in before the argument could get worse. He knew that he had to nip this type of squabbling quickly as his boys could go for hours back and forth and the longer they went the louder they got. It reminded him of how he and Draco used to bicker back in their Hogwarts days. He looked at Draco and by the glint in his eyes Harry knew he was thinking the same thing. 

“Sorry Daddy, Sorry Scorp”

“Sorry Daddy, Sorry Jamie”

“That’s better, now finish your breakfast before we miss the bus, and Scorpius you can sit with me downstairs as the upstairs makes me feel a little sick and James you can sit with Papa upstairs as you are both thrill seekers” Harry instructed. The boys finished their breakfast, brought their plates to the sink and went upstairs to brush their teeth and put socks on. 

“The upper deck doesn’t make you sick you sneaky lion” Draco murmured when the boys had gone.  
“I know, but James is always making fun of Scorpius for not being as adventurous and I want him to know that you don’t have to be brave all the time. It’s something I wish someone had told me growing up” Harry sighed but smiled as Draco grabbed his cheeks and kissed him. 

“You are such a good father, I sometimes forget to tell you that, but you are, my love”

“You are too, I am so thankful that we get to do this crazy parenting thing together.” Harry agreed. 

The boys chose that moment to come back down the stairs and began pulling on their father’s arms to get them up and moving. 

“You can kiss each other later, we need to catch the bus!” James scolded

“Ya, we don’t want to be late, guys!” Scorpius added.

“Ok, Ok, we’re going” Harry grinned at Draco as they both stood up. Draco levitated the remaining dishes over the sink and cast a spell to wash them. Harry went into the hallway and got his and Draco’s shoes out of the closet and handed the boys their trainers as well. Once all the laces were tied, the light coats put on, the four of them stepped outside into the breezy summer day. They headed to the bus stop to wait for the bus. The boys entertained themselves by jumping up the stairs of the nearby building and Draco and Harry chatted about what needed to get done that weekend. The bus was on time and the small family boarded and were sped off towards the zoo. 

The London zoo was such a fun place for the boys. They first went to the Reptile house as it was on the way to the Lions and Scopius spent many long minutes trying to get the snakes to talk to him. Unfortunately he did not have the ability to talk to snakes like Harry did, but he tried anyway, “just in case I can now, Daddy” as Harry watched him in amusement and Draco tried to keep up with James as he ran from one habitat to the next. 

“Slow down Jamie, you’re going to tire yourself out before we even get to the lions” Draco called after his son as they did another circuit of the habitats. Scorpius finally had enough of the snakes and agreed they could see the lions now as long as they got to go to the giraffes after. James said that was ok, but then he wanted to see the Penguin show. Harry looked up the next show and said they should be able to do that. They walked down the pathway to the lions and James was excited to see that the male lion was indeed walking around. Two of the lionesses were laying on the raised platform and one other was laying on the grass. The male lion walked closer to the female and yawned. James was so delighted that he squealed. The lions looked over lazily and then went back to what they were doing. James watched them for 15 minutes until Scorpius asked if they could go to the Giraffes now. James said they could, so they wandered past the gift shop and the food court to get to the underpass that would take them to the Africa exhibits. They walked past the hippos and the lemurs and made it to the giraffe enclosure just in time to see one of the Giraffes walking toward the viewing platform. Scorpius and James ran up the ramp to get closer while Draco and Harry followed close behind. They reached the top of the ramp just as the Giraffe licked Scorpius’ face. He squealed and ran to Draco crying in excitement mixed with indignation. 

“HE LICKED ME PAPA! It felt so weird and gross and wet and please can you clean me up?! I don’t want giraffe germs!” Scorpius was working himself up into a frenzy so Draco held him and that seemed to help him calm down. James on the other hand was laughing uncontrollably and Harry had to grab his shoulders so that he wouldn’t fall. 

James, buddy, breathe” Harry tried to calm him but the look on Scorpius’ face made him want to join James in the laughter. He led James to the zebras while Draco cleaned Scorpius. 

“That was the funniest thing I have EVER seen Daddy! A giraffe KISSED Scorpius! He has a giraffe girlfriend! I have to tell him that he’s going to marry a giraffe!” James went off into another fit of giggles and Harry chuckled at his sons merth. “Jamie, I don’t think Scorpius will appreciate you teasing him about this. He did not think it was as funny as we did. You probably wouldn’t think it funny if a huge animal licked your face.”

“No Daddy, but it was still so funny!” James grinned

“It was, but let’s not laugh at Scorpius until he is ready to laugh about it himself okay?” Harry advised. He knew Scorpius had a good sense of humour but hated being teased about things that embarrassed him, so he had to curb James’ enthusiasm until Scorpius was calm and could see the humor in the situation. Draco and Scorpius caught up with them and Harry asked Scorpius if he was ok.

“I’m ok Daddy, I was just surprised. I didn’t think a giraffe would lick a person. I don’t look like leaves, so I am thinking the giraffe thought I was her baby or something” Scorpius answered thoughtfully.

“Maybe she just thought you looked delicious and want to have a taste? I know that I sometimes get the urge to kiss you because you look so sweet”, and Harry scooped Scorpius up in his arms and proceeded to kiss him all over his face.

“URGH Daddy, stop, I am not delicious, PAPA HELP! Scorpius squirmed and giggled as Harry continued to attack his face with kisses and when Draco came over, he grabbed Scorpius’ face and kissed him too. 

“JAMIE HELP ME!” Scorpius cried out to his brother, but his brother was giggling along with his fathers and had no intention of helping. A few seconds later the two men released Scorpius and after pouting for a few moments, he said, “can we get some ice cream. I need a treat after all that love!”

Harry and Draco chuckled at their son’s antics, but agreed that ice cream was a good idea. After securing a spot at the penguin show, Harry went to get the ice cream for everyone. He came back just as the presenter was starting the show. They cheered and laughed at the tricks the penguins did. After the show, they saw a few of the other habitats and visited the gift shop where the boys were allowed to choose one small thing.

Then they headed out of the zoo and towards Regent’s park. They walked down the Broad walk all the way to Marylebone Green playground. The boys loved this part of the park as it had so many different things to climb on and explore as well as many kids to play with. Draco and Harry spread out the picnic blanket and watched the boys running around. Twenty minutes later they called the boys over for lunch. They sat and ate and then the boys asked if they could play a little longer, so Draco and Harry let them go after making sure they had eaten enough. Draco lay down on the blanket and Harry lay his head on Draco’s chest. 

“Mmmmm I could fall asleep right here” Draco murmured. “Last night wore me right out and today was also fun but exhausting.”

“I agree, you are quite comfortable. I could happily nap right here, but we should be responsible parents and watch that are kids don’t hurt themselves or get kidnapped.”

“That would truly put a damper on our day.” Draco sighed melodramatically.

A little while later they packed up their things and called for the boys. They left the park and made their way to the bus stop for the journey home, they arrived just as the bus was pulling up. They settled into seats on the bottom deck, and ten minutes into the ride, both boys were fast asleep. When they arrived at their stop, Draco and Harry gathered up their precious cargo and headed inside. It had been a few months since James and Scorpius stopped napping so the men knew that they had really played hard today. They also knew that if they let them sleep too long, they’d never go to bed on time that night. They laid them down in their beds and set an alarm so that they would only sleep for fifteen more minutes. Harry unpacked the carryall and put the picnic containers in the sink to wash. Draco started getting the leftover chicken ready for chicken quesadillas and then put that in the fridge to marinate. Once those jobs were done they woke up the boys and told them to choose a quiet activity to work on until dinner. Dinner was also a quiet affair and then they retired to the lounge to watch a short animated movie. Once the show was over the boys did their bedtime routine and were asleep in moments. Harry and Draco headed back downstairs for tea and some tv. They also called it an early night and headed to bed where they fell asleep just as fast as their sons. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry has a bit of a breakdown and then he's forced to face the one place that still haunts him.

Monday came too soon for Harry. He had slept badly the night before, despite his best efforts to calm himself before bed and Draco had tried his best to help Harry relieve the stress, but while it worked in the moment, dreams of rattling breath, cold chills, and dead white hands haunted him in the wee hours of the morning. He got up around five not able to stay in bed a moment longer and decided to make breakfast for his family. Cooking usually calmed him down, even though he was sure after the Dursleys, he would have had a revulsion towards it, but that was not the case. Today, however, he kept getting distracted and almost burnt the waffles, if not for a slightly charred smell coming from the pan alerting Harry at the last moment, they would have been too burnt to save. Draco walked into the kitchen an hour later to a mound of waffles and eggs and bacon under a stasis charm and a husband sitting outside the kitchen door staring off into the garden with a now cold mug of tea. 

“Harry, love,” Draco sat beside Harry after casting a warming charm on both of them as the morning was still cool, “just call Char and tell her to bring a trainee with her. If she saw how distracted you were and how anxious you are she would tell you to stay behind. It is not worth putting yourself in this state for a simple interview! You know those trainees are gungho about everything and they don’t have your history with Dementors. It has nothing to do with you being weak my love” Draco continued as he saw Harry about to reply. “You remember what Remus said so long ago, yah?

“That with the things that have happened to me, it was perfectly reasonable for me to react the way I do” Harry muttered.

“Exactly. He wasn’t trying to coddle you and neither am I. Char is more than capable of handling this with a trainee and you can work on finding out how the Hocrux got into Spencer’s shop. You’ll still be working on the case, you just won’t be near the very creatures that almost stole your soul.” Draco looked at Harry with pleading eyes. “Please love, for me? I can’t stand to see you like this. You look just like you did right after the war before eighth year and it breaks me.” 

“Ok” Harry sighed and rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair. “I’ll call her and see what she says”. Harry picked up his mobile and called Charlotte. After a few moments of muffled conversation, Draco heard Charlotte yell through the phone, “HARRY JAMES POTTER YOU ARE STAYING BEHIND AND THAT’S FINAL!” Harry hung up the phone after a quiet, “Ok thanks Char” and turned to Draco. “She said it was ok and she will keep me updated” He explained in a grimace. 

“Sounded to me she said more than that, but if it means I get to keep my husband and his mind safe, then I will let her say whatever she needs to. Draco pulled Harry into a hug and Harry snuggled into his chest. “I’m sorry love, I just hate that they still affect me so deeply. I know that logically there is a good reason for them to do so, but I feel like I should be strong enough to withstand their effects.”

“I know, but like I said and like I will keep on saying until you believe it, you are not weak, you are the strongest man I know, and I know a lot of people, and those creatures are the foulest in our world, if you weren’t affected I would be more worried.”

Harry sighed and leaned back into Draco who squeezed him tight. “Let’s have a leisurely breakfast with our boys and then you can go to work for a few hours and see if you can figure out the chain of events that led to Spencer’s disappearance. Maybe talk to Hermione and see if she knows anymore about how an essence can be trapped in a Horcrux. Knowing her, she will have done copious amounts of research while you were hunting them, if not after. It might give you an insight into how to get Spencer back.”

“You’re right, even if I can’t face the dementors, I am not totally useless and we still might not get any information from the death eater, so we will need another way to solve this” Harry conceded.

They went inside and the boys had just come down the stairs and were still rubbing their eyes sleepily. 

“What’s for breakfast Daddy” yawned James.

“Waffles with syrup and bacon and eggs” Harry replied giving James a kiss on his head as he poured orange juice into his an Scorpius’ cups. 

“MMMMmm I love waffles” Scorpius smiled. “You're the best Daddy ever!”

“Yes and the bravest and the handsomest” James agreed

“Hey, what about me?” Draco teasingly whined.

“You’re the bravest, handsomest and best Papa, Papa.” said James “and Daddy is the best Daddy” he explained as though Draco was slow on the uptake.

“Oh alright then.I will agree with that” Draco kissed James on the head and then Scorpius leaned over with his cheek out and a look on his face that clearly said, “Don’t forget me!” and Draco smacked him messily on the cheek blowing a raspberry kiss quite loudly. 

“Papa! No!” Scorpius whined. “No messy kisses!”

“Too late!” Draco chuckled and ruffled Scorpius’ hair before taking a seat at the table and watching Scorpius pout as he fixed his hair.

“So Daddy, are you staying home today?” James inquired.

“Nope, just having a bit of a late start. Aunty Char is doing some work outside the office, so she won’t mind if I’m a bit late today” Harry replied. 

“Oh, that’s good, Aunty Char can get cross if you’re late.” James replied knowingly. 

“Yes, she is definitely someone you need to mind but she is also very gracious and forgiving” Harry conceded.

“Lucky for you” Draco murmured.

“Hey now, I am a model employee and a wonderful partner, she is lucky to have me, especially when compared to some of the other oafs in my department.” Harry proclaimed.

“That’s not high praise Potter” Draco smirked. “Those oafs are only a step up from a troll”

“That’s what Char says when I complain about her teasing” Harry slumped in his chair dramatically.

“Oh Papa, Daddy, you two are ridiculous” Scorpius muttered.

“WHA?!” “We are not!” Both men replied at the same time and then they all began to giggle. Their giggles turned into laughter and they finished breakfast with large grins on their faces. 

“Alright lads, I’m off to the office. I will see you all at dinner” Harry announced pushing away from the table and grabbing his travel mug that held some strong sweet Earl Grey. 

“Bye Daddy” James and Scorpius gave Harry a fist bump as their hands were still sticky with syrup and he kissed their heads as he headed to the door. Draco followed behind and helped him with his coat pulling him in by the scarf to kiss him soundly and smack his bottom as he said, “See you later handsome, I love you”

“Love you too Draco, thanks for taking such good care of me,” Harry replied with another kiss and then stepped out the door to apparate to the ministry. 

When Harry arrived in his office he was met by several interoffice memos and a blinking light on his telephone told him he had a recorded message. That phone was used by Patrick or other muggles that were a part of an investigation and needed to call them back. He pressed the message button and an unfamiliar voice echoed through the room. “This is William Teig, manager of Ewbank's Auction House. My employee called and told me that you needed records for a certain purchase. I am in the office now until 3 and then I will be in tomorrow at nine. I have pulled the records you requested if you would like to drop by and grab them, just call me at the office and we can set up a time.” Harry scribbled down the number and then reached for the stack of memos. One was from Neville asking if he wanted to have lunch with him that week, one was from Amelia telling Harry and Charlotte that the DoM members were going to be running tests at two o’clock that afternoon, so they should know more later this afternoon and the last was from Bill Weasley informing Harry that he had been assigned to the case as the Curse Breaker and would like to chat about what happened when Harry had found the Horcrux. He scribbled a reply to Neville telling him that he was on a case, but if he was around he would like to have lunch tomorrow. He then replied to Bill saying he was going to go to Oxted for an hour but if he wanted to chat over lunch today, he was free. He then texted Charlotte telling her about the note from Amelia and that he would go and talk with the magiforensics team later that afternoon and to not worry about rushing back. Once that was done he rang William Tieg and asked if he could swing by now as he was “in the area.” Having gotten a yes, Harry walked back to the lifts and down through the Atrium where he went to the apparition pad and apparated in an alley beside the auction house. He walked in and asked to see Mr. Teig. William came out of the office and smiled at Harry. 

“Mr. Potter, here are the records you requested. We pride ourselves on only dealing with reputable buyers and sellers, so we hope that there was nothing illegal about the sale of these items” William leaned forward on the counter putting himself very close to Harry. 

“No, they are just evidence in an ongoing investigation and we would like to find the previous owners to get some more information about their origin.” Harry took a small step back. 

“Oh, thank goodness, I would hate to be involved in anything outside the law” William smiled a little to broadly for Harry’s liking and placed his hand lightly on Harry’s forearm for a moment. Harry withdrew slowly as to not offend Mr. Teig and he shuffled the papers nervously in his hands. 

“I can imagine. Well thank you Mr. Teig, if there is anything else we require I hope we can count on you to be cooperative.” Harry grimaced, but hope it came off as a smile and then turned to go.

‘Of course, whatever you need officer” came a reply that bordered on breathy and cooing. Harry mentally shuddered and walked out of the building. Shaking his head to clear the encounter from his head he returned to the alley to apparate.

Once back at the Ministry, Harry stode back to his office and asked a passing assistant to get him a strong tea and let him know when Bill arrived. The assistant was “delighted to be of help” and quickly scrambled to get the tea for Harry. He shook his head. He was still confused by people who acted that way. Draco always laughed at him when he would complain about the fawning and the flirting, using a mocking tone as he teased Harry, “Oh my life is so hard, people everywhere just think I am so wonderful and fall over themselves to help me and it makes me so mad.” Then he would follow up with a “Grow up Potter and use it to your advantage. They get to help you and feel good about it, and you get the perks of mundane things being done for you so you can focus on the more important things you need to do. It’s a win win” Then he would sigh, kiss Harry on the forehead and walk away shaking his head in exasperation while Harry would pout for a few moments and then mumble about no one understanding him. So even though Draco wasn’t there to tell him he was being stupid in person, Harry let his mind supply him with Draco’s repsonse and when the assistant, who’s name he thought was Mark or Matt or Marek, came in with his tea, Harry thanked him with a small smile and Mark/Matt/Marek left with a “you are so very welcome detective Potter!” Harry took the records he had collected from Ewbanks and started to go through the list of items. He found that there were two snuff boxes that Spencer had purchased from the auction house, and one fit the sales timeline that they had been working with. He scribbled down the name of the seller and was just about to cross reference the name with the magical registry when there was a knock on his door. 

“Come in” Harry announced.

“Hey Harry” a familiar voice called as Bill opened the door. 

“Bill, thanks for coming up to see me, I could have come down to the lab if that was easier.” Harry said.

“That’s alright, I was done in the lab early, so I thought I would come up and see if you were free, Martin said you were expecting me” Bill explained

“Martin!” Harry mumbled, “That’s his name, I never can remember”

“What?” Bill asked smiling.

“Nothing, not important. So did you get anywhere with the Horcrux?” Harry continued as Bill took a seat in front of Harry’s desk.

“Well we were able to figure out that the Hocrux has a summoning curse embedded in it so that anyone who was not the creator would become trapped inside the Horcrux if they tried to open the lid of the snuffbox. Of course we didn’t try to open it because we are not sure if it only captures one victim or if it continues to capture victims until it is destroyed. On that note, we have not yet figured out a way to destroy it without killing the other essence inside, so we are working on that. However, we have a theory that we want to test and we thought you may be able to help. I know that you don’t like talking about the night Sirius died” Bill paused and looked at Harry with concern but Harry was able to keep a hold of his emotions better now, so he nodded at Bill to continue. “You mentioned that that night at the ministry you were able to hear whispers from the veil. Do you remember if you heard any distinct words or phrases?”

Harry considered the question. If had been so long ago, and yet that night had haunted his dreams for years. He had always felt so guilty about what had happened and completely devastated that the one person in his life who had started to feel like a real father had been ripped away from him so suddenly without real reason. He remembered first being drawn to the dais by the shimmering texture of the veil and hearing murmurings and whispers but not hearing any real words. He had thought at the time that if he had just spent some time listening he may have been able to understand what the voices were saying, but then all hell broke loose and it had been pushed from his mind.

“No, no distinct words, but I didn’t really have time to investigate further and ‘Mione wouldn’t let me get too close. The veil really scared her. I think that because I was the owner of a Hallow and also maybe because I was a Horcrux I was able to hear things others couldn’t. Luna said she could hear them too, now that I think about it.”

“Well we may have to see if she can come in and help us too. Our theory is that we might be able to use the power of the veil to call to Spencer to see if he can hear us. We aren’t sure if it will help get him out, but it will at least ascertain that he is indeed trapped inside the Horcrux. If we can’t communicate with him, it could mean that he is trapped elsewhere or that it is not his essence inside. There are so many variables, and we are hoping that this might narrow down our search and help us to plot a further course of action.” 

“So what do you need me to do?” Harry asked

“Well, we are going to take the Horcrux into the Mysteries of Death room and see if there is a reaction. Then we are going to see if we can try and communicate with Spencer through the veil. Our running theory is that because the Horcrux is a piece of a soul, and Spencer is trapped with it, the veil may be like a doorway or window through which we can communicate because it is where the souls of the departed reside behind, and can come close enough to, when they are called on. We are hoping that if Spencer is in the other dimension so to speak, he will hear us calling and will come close enough to communicate with us. We want to try using you as the person to try and communicate as you are the Master of Death, yes I know that you are the master of all three Hallows”, Bill cut off Harry’s cry of surprise and alarm, “but don’t worry I did not mention that to my colleagues. That is not something you want to announce. Since I know that at least one of the Hallows is still directly in your possession I just mentioned that one to our small group. They agree that even having one Hallow qualifies you above anyone else, but being the master of all three should make you even more able to do this.” Bill sat back in his chair with a grim smile.

“I will ask you later how you found all that out, but for now, I think that what you are proposing sounds promising and I will certainly try to communicate with Spencer even if it is just to assure him that we are working on getting him out of wherever he is safely.” Harry rose to his feet and Bill copied him. They walked to the lifts and headed down to the Department of Mysteries. 

Once they arrived in the Mysteries of Death room, Harry saw that Amelia and Susan were setting up recording devices and other equipment. His eyes were drawn against his will to the giant stone archway in the middle of the room. The sight of it brought him right back to the day his world had crashed down around him. He saw flashes of light, heard cackling laughter and then his throat began to tighten and his palms began to sweat. His breathing picked up and his head started to pound. He needed a distraction before he had a full blown panic attack. He wrenched his eyes away from the arch and found Padma standing a little ways away. He quickly walked over to her putting his back to the arch and focused on getting his breathing back to normal. He had known that this room would bring back those horrible memories, and that while he had dealt with his grief for the most part, there was just something about being in this room that brought it all back. He also knew that he needed to be strong, to do his job and help to bring an innocent man back to his family. He counted to four each time he breathed in, held the breath, and then counted to four again as he breathed out, just as his mind healer had taught him to do when he felt a panic attack coming on. Once he felt calmer he asked Padma what all of the equipment was for, she told him that most of it was to detect magical frequencies were too high or low to be detected by the human ear. The other equipment would monitor the veil as well as the horcrux to detect any changes to them. Amelia then called Harry and Bill over to the Dais, Harry steeled himself and walked over. Amelia told Harry that he should start by calling Spencer’s name and asking him if he could hear them. She cautioned him not to get too close to the archway just in case. Harry walked slowly up the steps and approached the arch cautiously as Bill and Amelia stayed near the recording equipment. The Horcrux lay in front of the veil and it did not seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary. Harry took a deep breath in and out and prayed that this would work. He called out in a shaky voice, “Spencer” he coughed and then cleared his throat, “Spencer Anderson, can you hear me, if you can, please let me know”

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More case fic drama and finally a lead for Harry and Charlotte to follow.

Spencer woke up in the dark again. He wasn’t sure what had roused him, but he thought he heard a voice calling his name. It wasn’t a voice he recognized but it knew his name, so he waited to see if it would call him again. A few minutes later he heard the voice call out again, “Spencer, Spencer Anderson, can you hear me, if you can, please let me know” 

“I hear you, who are you, where am I?” Spencer called back. He heard the voice say, “I heard something! I think it’s him!” 

“Hello, who are you? Can you hear me?” Spencer called again.

“Yes Spencer I can hear you, thank Merlin, my name is Harry Malfoy-Potter, are you ok? Are you hurt or injured in any way? Can you tell me where you are or what you see around you? Anything will help!” Harry asked quickly. 

“No, It is too dark in here. I think that I am ok physically. There are no windows are doors. The space is 15 by 15 feet wide by my reckoning, but I can’t find a way out, Please help me.” Spencer pleaded.

“I will help you I promise, we are trying to figure out what happened to you. We weren’t even sure if we could talk to you, but we are so glad we can” Harry reassured him. 

“Can you contact my wife? I am sure she is frantic about my whereabouts, can I talk to her?” Spencer started to feel his throat and eyes burn as he tried to quell the rising panic and sadness at putting Pansy through more anguish.    
“Right now I don’t think that it is possible for you to hear her voice where you are, I am in a unique position to be able to speak to you, but we will definitely let her know that you are ok and I can get a message to you when we talk to her. She is an old friend of my husbands. We have her safe and taken care of. She will be so excited to know you are ok. Can you tell me what you remember before being where you are now?” Harry asked.

“I was in my shop, and I was putting out some items I got at auction the previous week. I was just putting a snuff box onto the shelf when I lifted the lid to look inside. There was this crazy gust of wind and everything went dark. When I woke up I was in this place. It was so dark, but I crawled to a wall and started to look for a way out. There were no doors, just solid wall. Then a voice spoke to me, kind of like you are doing, except it sounded closer and more menacing. It said that I was never going to escape and that I was in the realm of the dead and beyond the veil. I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t sound good.” Spencer finished with a shudder. 

“Thank you for telling us this, has that voice said anything else to you?” Harry inquired. 

“No, after it finished speaking I fainted or something because the next thing I remember is hearing you and waking up” Spencer stood up and started pacing. “Can you tell me where I am and what happened to me?”

“Not at the moment, you see we are trying to figure that out. We think you are safe for now and we are working to try to get you out of there as soon as possible. Knowing we can talk to you is a big step toward that goal, so hang in there and we will talk soon ok? Don’t worry we will get this all sorted and you and Pansy will be back together again.”

“Thank you Mr. Malfoy-Potter, If the other voice comes back, I will let you know. Please tell Pansy that I love her and that I will come back to her.”

“Thank you Spencer, that will be a big help and I will go tell Pansy that as soon as I can.”

Harry walked down the Dais steps and sank to the floor. He felt drained. His adrenaline has spiked when he first heard Spencer’s voice, and now that he had finished his body crashed. Bill ran over to him and forced a pepper up potion into his hands followed by a powerbar.    
“Are you ok Harry?” Bill asked concern flashing in his eyes.

“Yes, I think I’m ok, that was just really intense. Did the recording devices pick up our conversation?” 

“No, unfortunately we were only able to hear your side of the conversation but if you give us the memory we will be able to record it from a pensieve. Is he ok? Did he give you anything that will help us get him out?” Amelia had come over to where Harry sat and started recording their conversation.

“No, he says that it is completely dark wherever he is being held and that there are no windows or doors. He said that he heard a voice and it had told him there was no escape, that he belonged to the realm of the dead. He said that after the voice had spoken to him, he had fainted. Or perhaps he was put under a spell. Whichever, the voice hasn’t spoken to him since.”

“The magical frequency detectors picked up something when you were speaking to Spencer, and the recordings from the veil sensors tell us that there was a presence quite close to the archway while you were speaking. We believe that he must be trapped in another dimension that is just on the other side of the veil. If we can somehow create a portal to where he is, we can get him out alive. What worries me is that if we try to remove him from that place, we may also release the part of the soul that is also trapped there. We don’t want it latching on to anyone else like Voldemort’s soul did to you, Harry” Susan reported with a frown.

“Yes, that is definitely something we don’t want to have happen” Harry said as he shuddered.

“So when do we think we can start trying to make this portal?” Bill asked.

“We’re not sure, our DoM liaison is running some simulations that we hope will be able to be recreated on the real thing. Once we have that sorted we should be able to try extracting him.” Susan explained. 

“How long do you think it will take? I would like to tell Pansy that we are close to solving this” Harry inquired. 

“I think by tomorrow we should know whether or not the simulations have been successful.” Susan replied. 

“Great, I think I will go and let Pansy know what has happened. If you need me, you can reach me on my mobile.” Harry turned and walked out of the room. The rest of the team finished their tasks and Amelia took Harry’s memories of the conversation with Spencer to her lab to record it for further study. 

Harry apparated to Narcissa’s townhouse. He walked up to the front door and knocked. The door opened and Narcissa stood in the doorway. Surprised to see Harry standing there, she raised a questioning eyebrow but hugged him as she drew him inside.

“This is a surprise, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“It’s about Spencer, is Pansy here?”

“In the lounge dear, is this a tea or firewhiskey conversation?” Narcissa looked in his eyes. 

“Tea I think” Harry smiled.

“OH THANK MERLIN” Narcissa sighed and went to the kitchen.

“Hi Pansy” Harry said as he walked into the lounge.

“Potter? What is it? What’s wrong? Do you have bad news? Is he dead? Did you find his body?” Pansy’s breathing started to pick up.

“Woah woah woah Pansy, breathe. Everything is ok. Just calm down and I will tell you what we discovered” Harry put his hand on her knee and clasped her hand.

“Sorry Harry, I am just wound so tight I am not able to calm down easily and everything makes me panic.”

“That’s totally understandable, but I want you to know that Spencer is ok. We were able to talk to him! He asked after you and made me promise to tell you that he is ok and that he is worried for you. I could tell he feels guilty for putting you through this and that he wants you to know that he loves you and he will come back to you.” Harry told her what they had learned and promised her that they would not give up trying to get Spencer back. Pansy had begun to cry when Harry told her that Spencer was ok and clung to his hand while he explained what the next steps were going to be. Narcissa had come into the room shortly after Harry’s explanation and sat beside Pansy and put her arm around her shoulders and drew her in for a hug as Harry repeated the basics of their conversation.

“See my dear, everything will be fine, Harry is the best investigator they have and I know his team will figure out how to rescue Spencer.” Narcissa was able to calm Pansy down enough to coax her into drinking some tea. Pansy seemed to relax quite quickly after that and Harry suspected a shot of calming draught had been added to her teacup. Harry shot a grateful smile at Narcissa. Pansy took another sip of tea and took a deep breath. 

“Thank you Harry, I feel better knowing that my Spencer is safe even if we can’t get him back yet, at least I know that he’s alive and I also know that you will get him back to me as soon as you can. Thank you for coming to tell me right away I really appreciate it.”

“Of course Pansy, as soon as I heard his voice I wanted to run out of there and tell you, we will know more tomorrow, so I will come by again and keep you updated. Who knows, maybe I will be able to bring him with me, but please, just don’t lose hope. Even if it’s not tomorrow, it will happen soon, I promise you.” Harry finished his tea, patted Pansy on the knee and rose to leave. Narcissa walked him to the door.

“Thank you for coming to tell her that news Harry, it has been hard for her to not know one way or the other, now I hope she will be able to sleep properly. Please give Draco my love and a kiss for each of my grandsons and remember that we have a family dinner on Saturday.”

“Of course, we will see you on Saturday at 5:00 correct?”   
“Yes, that will be perfect. I expect to see you sooner with Spencer in tow.” Narcissa arched her left eyebrow and Harry was reminded of Draco and how he also gave that look to the boys when they weren’t doing something fast enough. 

“Yes mother, I will do my best” Harry kissed her cheek and walked out the door. 

Once he reached the street he apparated back to the ministry. Charlotte had texted him that she was back from Azkaban and had some news about the Horcrux that she needed to tell him. She also wanted an update about what had happened that morning. Harry stopped in at the sandwich shop close to the ministry to get himself and Charlotte a late lunch as he felt drained and knew she would be worse off than he was. He also stopped at Tesco to get some chocolate. 

Once he reached the office, Martin stopped him to tell him that Bill had stopped by again and that he would like Harry to contact him when he had a chance. He thanked him and headed for Charlotte's office. He knocked on her door and heard a tired, “come in.” Harry opened the door and saw Charlotte leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed. 

“Hey Char, I come bearing gifts. First eat this, then we can eat lunch.” Harry handed Charlotte the bar of chocolate. “I’ll get Martin to make tea and that should help most of what ails you.” Harry stepped back into the hallway calling to Martin who came over quickly and gladly offered to make a whole pot. Harry thanked him and went back into Charlotte’s office. 

“Thanks Harry, the chocolate helped. I forgot what those spectors are capable of. I am so glad you didn’t come. It would have been hard seeing you affected by them on top of everything else we had to deal with. Speaking to a half insane Death Eater was no walk in the park. I just wanted to curse him so many times, and I am not talking about the words. He was so offensive even the guards had to reign him in a few times when he got too much.” At that moment Martin knocked on the door to deliver the tea. Charlotte raised an eyebrow once he had left with a wide smile and a “You’re welcome Detective Malfoy-Potter. 

“This is new, when did you start accepting help from our admin assistants?” Charlotte asked with a smirk.

“When my husband knocked some sense into me and told me that letting others help me do the more mundane tasks allows me to focus on the more important aspects of my job. He also said he was tired of me complaining that people are always wanting to help me and when I don’t let them, they try harder. So in his words it’s a win/win.” Harry concluded sheepishly.

“I see” Charlotte grinned.

“Anyway, back to the disaster of an interrogation. Did you find out anything useful?” Harry changed the subject quickly.

“Not really, he was very evasive when we questioned him directly about creating the Horcrux, he did mention that Voldemort was a legend and that creating a means to circumvent death was admirable and that as a true follower, one should be prepared for everything, and cheating death was certainly something that all the true followers should aspire to. He rambled on about how taking the life of those lower in blood purity and muggle creatures to make sure that the higher order beings remained alive and powerful was a worthy endeavor and that anyone who did so deserved to live the new life that they created with impunity. When we asked him about creating a magical item that trapped other souls inside he started blathering on about how a magical source needed to have ways to sustain itself and how sacrifices needed to be made for the greater good. He said that Voldemort was always looking for ways to make his followers more like himself and how only the truly devoted deserved to be considered for such an honor and should have to prove their loyalty. He also rambled on about how he had promised the Dark Lord that he would do better this time and that he would not fail his master again. So from that we gathered that it is not outside the realm of possibility that he is the creator of the Horcrux that has captured Spencer. We are going to look through his personal effects to see if maybe he created a journal or something that might help us have definitive proof, but as he already has a life sentence without the possibility of parole, we feel like it’s not important to pursue adding to that sentence right now. We just hope we can find out how to get Spencer out. Tell me all about your conversation with Spencer and what the team had to say about the next steps.” 

“The DoM liaison is running some simulations right now to see if they can create a portal that will allow Spencer to leave wherever he is and travel back to our dimension. They should have more results later this afternoon or tomorrow morning. They are sure that Spencer is safe at the moment, but they are unsure as to the source of the voice. They think it is part of Nott’s soul that is able to communicate with Spencer, just like Voldemort was able to speak to me, Ron and Hermione when we opened his Horcruxes before destroying them, but they are not sure if it can do anything more than speak.” Harry shuddered at the memory of those conversations and then continued. “Pansy was very relieved to know that we have been able to speak to Spencer and Narcissa was able to slip her some calming draught so she can sleep. According to Narcissa, she’s been unable to sleep for more than a few hours at a time. I got the records from Ewbanks and there is a snuff box that matches the description of the Horcrux. I was going to run the name against the school registry to see if the person was a wizard or a muggle, but Bill came in to bring me to the lab before I had a chance. I think we should do that after we finish here and then we can see if we can interview them. While I am still hoping this artifact was sold unknowingly by the seller, I also hope that it wasn’t so that we can get more information on how and who created it.” Harry relayed all the information to Charlotte as they ate their lunch. 

When they were finished, they vanished their garbage and called for the registry. They searched for the name and were surprised when it showed up in the registry. 

“Well at least we know that they are magical, but if they sold it knowing what it was, it is going to be a very bad day for them. Shall we call to announce our arrival or should we surprise them? Do we set up surveillance first, or go in wands blazing?” Harry asked.

“I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but knowing they are magical, how could they not know what it was they were dealing with? I say we go in unannounced and maybe the element of surprise will put them off their guard and compel them to try and stay out of jail.” Charlotte stated.

“Sounds good. Let’s tell Martin where we are going so that if something happens he can call for backup” Harry suggested.

“If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I would say that you are developing a soft spot for Martin. I mean you finally are remembering his name and everything”

“He has been super helpful and very professional. He hasn’t been fawning over me, just genuinely eager to help. It’s refreshing” Harry conceded

“I agree, and it will be good to have someone know where we are just in case. I don’t think it will go badly but one never knows when one is dealing with dark magic and those who wield it.” Charlotte sighed. The pair told Martin where they were headed and told him that if they hadn’t checked in via Patronus message in an hour that he was to alert the aurors and send in back up. They made their way out of the Ministry and apparated to York. They reached the house in question and knocked on the door.

“Mr. Johnson, this is the DMLE, we would like to speak with you. Please open up.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte and Harry interview Mr. Johnson. They then return to the ministry and are met with a tiny crisis in the lab and Harry reveals a secret to a colleague.

They heard shuffling inside the house and then the deadbolt was drawn back and the door opened to reveal an old man in plaid slacks, a striped red and white t-shirt, and a gray cardigan. He had a walking cane in his hand and he was breathing raggedly as though he had just run a marathon after smoking a pack of cigarettes. His face was wrinkled and his whitish gray hair was sticking up in many directions, not unlike Harry’s own. He looked at Harry and Charlotte as though he knew them, and then motioned for them to come inside. 

“I’m sorry for the state of my sitting room, but I haven’t had visitors in a few weeks and the maid called in sick this week so things have started to pile up as they do” Mr. Johnson motioned around him at the piles of dishes and daily prophets that littered every flat surface around the chair that he was just easing himself into. Harry and Charlotte looked at each other with the same expression on their faces. Both expressions told each other that there was no way Mr. Johnson was responsible for Spencer’s disappearance.    
“Sorry to intrude on your day Mr. Johnson” Charlotte began.

“Oh it’s no bother my dear. It is nice to have visitors to break up the monotony of an otherwise predictable day” Mr. Johnson assured her. Then coughed a few times as if he wasn’t used to speaking so many words at one time. “Now was there a reason for your visit or is this a new program the Ministry is starting, a “visit the old folks department” to make sure they are still alive and able to survive on their own” He smiled and Harry noticed that he was missing quite a few teeth.

“No sir, we actually are here on official business. We are investigating a crime and your name has come up in regards to some evidence we have collected” Harry stated gently. Mr. Johnson reminded him of Mr. Ollivander whom he had come to count as a grandfatherly type person after the war. Mr. Olivander may be old and more frail than he once was, but he was just as kind and just as sharp minded as ever and Harry enjoyed visiting him and having an intellectual conversation around wandlore and history. He had even brought Scorpius with him a few times as his boy loved the subtle side of magic and Mr. Olivander had taken a shine to him, as he once put it. 

“My name’s come up? Well that is intriguing. What could I possibly have to do with a DMLE investigation?”

“Well you see sir, a snuff box that you sold to Ewbank’s auction house was bought by our victim and we were wondering if you could maybe give us some more information about how you came into possession of it and any other details you may remember about its history?” Harry replied carefully, he did not want to show all of their cards yet. 

“Oh yes, my great grandfather’s snuffbox on my mother’s side. She was a Nott by birth, but was disowned when she married my father as he was a halfblood and my grandfather was not happy with that choice. My grandmother left my mother a vault with a few family heirlooms and some gold in it when she died and my mother took the gold but left the heirlooms to rot in that vault at Gringotts. She was not fond of her family, as you can imagine and did not want those pieces in the house. When she passed away, the vault and its contents were left to me. I did not have any need for those dusty relics, so I told my solicitor to sell them at auction and give the money to charity. Did something happen to your victim because of it?” Mr. Johnson’s eyes showed concern and confusion.

“Does anyone besides your mother and your solicitor have access to the vault or its contents?” Charlotte asked, ignoring his question.

“Not that I know of. It was still in my mother’s maiden name, so it might be able to be accessed by one of her Nott relatives, but it was such a small thing that I am certain no one would have bothered.” Mr. Johnson answered.

“Do you know or have you ever had contact with Mr. Cantankerous Nott?” Harry asked carefully.

“That Death Eater fool who raised his son to be just like him and ruined the poor boy? No, I have never met him and do not consider him family. He was a barmy fool who was so wrapped up in his blood supremacy that he ruined his life needlessly and I am very glad that he is rotting in Azkaban as should all the fools that followed that mad man and believed his lies. Is that why you are here, to see if I was somehow in cahoots with those idiots and conspiring to help out their cause in some way? I would never fall into their ranks Mr. Potter, not after all the stories my mother told me of the unjust and cruel way they treated anyone who was not pureblood. I am half blood and damn proud of it!” Harry could see that Mr. Johnson was getting worked up as his breathing was picking up and his voice was getting tighter, so he reached over and put his hand on his shoulder.   
“I believe you Mr. Johnson. Sorry for asking you these hard questions but we think that Mr. Nott was able to steal that snuff box somehow and while it was in his possession he imbued it with dark magic. It was then put back into your mother’s vault until you sold it through the auction house to a muggle and now that muggle is in danger and we need to understand how that happened.” Harry soothed. 

“My solicitor assured me that all the items he found were not magical, that they were just antiques, otherwise I would have made sure they were destroyed or only sold to a magical establishment.” Mr. Johnson looked horrified that something like this could have happened and Harry tried to calm him down with assurances that they did not hold him responsible and that they would make sure that they would figure out what happened. 

Charlotte left to make tea while he and Harry talked and when she returned, she heard Harry say, “Most of the items we recovered were just antiques, so it would have been easy for something small like that snuff box to be overlooked. We would like your permission to talk to the goblins at Gringotts to see if they have any record of it being removed from your vault or put back. If you wouldn’t mind signing this information release parchment, we would be most grateful” 

“Of course my boy, anything to help that poor muggle and your investigation. I will also send a note to my solicitor and ask him to speak with you if you deem that necessary. He accepted the cup of tea from Charlotte after she asked him how he took it and he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as he sipped the tea. “I never thought that the day I met Harry Potter would also be the day I found out that my family was once again involved in something sinister. My mother would be horrified. She never spoke about her family much, except to say how misguided and sometimes downright horrible they were and how she was so glad that she had met my father and had fallen in love with someone who was so unlike her own father. She loved her mother, but because her father had disowned her, they could not have the relationship they might have had. That made her very sad, but my grandmother wasn’t as strong as my mother and she would not stand up to my grandfather as she should have. It was something my mother mourned for a long time, maybe most of her life. She was very happy with our family and my father’s side of the family welcomed her with open arms, so at least there was that, but it still hurt her that her parents could turn their backs on their own children. It seems so petty and mean.”

“I agree with you sir. My own husband had to deal with that as well. His father never accepted who he loved, but fortunately his mother was a strong woman and she has embraced him and myself with open arms. She loves us and our children, so it shows that it can be made right. I think your mother showed that strength too. She was brought up in a house that thought one way, and yet she had the moral compass to see that what they were saying was wrong and that love always trumps blood.” Harry smiled as the old man patted him on the knee. 

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, my boy. She was a good woman, my mother. So please find out what happened and help that poor muggle. I don’t want her legacy or mine to be tarnished by something like this, I can’t bear that.” 

“We will, Mr. Johnson. Thank you so much for your time and your cooperation. We will owl you if we have anything else we need and we hope that our questions haven’t been too gruelling.”

“Nonsense my boy, it was a right shock of course, but I still have some gumption left in me to be able to handle an interrogation from the likes of you!” Mr. Johnson chuckled as Harry smiled. 

“I can see that now, thank you again.”

“You’re welcome, and if you ever want to chat, I would be more than willing to have you and your family over. Your husband sounds just like my mother and I would be well pleased to get to know him as well.” Mr. Johnson coaxed, “You would also be more than welcome Ms. Stone” he added with a wink. 

“Thank you Mr. Johnson. I will be in touch.” Harry shook his hand and he and Charlotte made their way outside.   
“Here we were thinking that we would be meeting the mastermind behind the selling of a horcrux and you come out of there with an invitation to tea from the nicest old man you could ever imagine.” Charlotte laughed, shaking her head. 

“Well we at least have another lead. When we get back to the office, can you send a letter requesting a meeting with the Goblin in charge of his vault. The Goblins are still upset with me for that Dragon incident. They let me take out money from my vault, but they still find ways to impede any investigation I am a part of.” Harry said with a grimace.

This made Charlotte chuckle again as she agreed to send the request on their behalf. 

“It’s a good thing I like you and that you are good at most aspects of your job because there are a lot of things I have to do to compensate for your fame and notoriety!” Charlotte mockingly groused. 

“Ya ya, it’s so hard being you!” Harry sassed back.

“It is such a burden but someone has to do it” Charlotte dodged the stinging hex Harry shot at her and disapperated back to the ministry. Harry glowered and then followed. 

When they reached the office Martin hurried over to them. “Ms. Brennan has been trying to reach you, she says she needs to see you right away.”

“Bollocks, thanks Martin we will go immediately.” Charlotte put down her things and Harry threw his things on the chair in her office. They walked quickly to the lifts and took them down to the lab. They opened the doors and Padma rushed over to them looking anxious.    
“We tried to contact you, but your phone went straight to voicemail. There have been some surprising developments in regards to the Horcrux and the veil and we are unsure what they mean. Please follow me, we are meeting with the DoM liaison right now.” 

They followed quickly behind Padma to one of the labs. They reached the door just as light flooded the room and an ear piercing wail sounded. They covered their ears and looked wildly around. It seemed that those that had been in the room were ok, but had crouched down to protect themselves. Once the wailing and light had disappeared, they all stood up cautiously. 

“What the hell was that?” Harry said loudly.

“The Horcrux has been doing that every time we try to get close to it. At first it was a gust of wind, then the light and now the light and a wailing. We can’t figure out why it’s reacting the way it is and we are not sure if Spencer is being affected by it either. That’s why we have been trying to reach you. We hoped you might be able to approach it or see if you can talk to Spencer again” Amelia stated with exasperation. 

“We were out interviewing the previous owner of the snuff box and we just got back. My phone battery died, it was fully charged this morning, so I am not sure how it could have run out so quickly.”

“Oh! I just realized something!” Susan sounded excited. “All of our recording equipment went haywire after you left the MoD room. The batteries were completely dead and the recording showed a power surge that fried a few of the magical computer chips. We had to replace about 5 of them. I think the Horcrux may be responsible. We thought maybe the equipment was faulty, but maybe there was just too much magic in the room and it overloaded all the electronics. We have a magic dampening spell around where we store the equipment so that it will function better but we didn’t want to put them on the equipment while we were running the tests because we wanted to pick up everything.” 

“Ok, but why is the Horcrux acting so crazy here and was so docile up in the Mysteries of Death room?” Charlotte asked.

“We aren’t sure.” Amelia shrugged and then continued, “Harry we will step out of the room. Can you try and approach the Horcrux and maybe try to speak to Spencer. We aren’t sure if you need the veil to communicate so just try and if it doesn’t work we can try something else.” Amelia led the others out of the room and Harry tentatively walked over the Horcrux. He was preparing to duck and cover if he needed to, but the horcrux remained still and silent. He reached the horcrux and placed his hand over it, not touching it, just hovering above it. He felt the dark magic begin to rise up and touch his palm but with a wandless and wordless command from Harry it receded back into the snuff box.    
“Spencer, it’s Harry, can you hear me?” Harry spoke calmly, though his voice wavered a little. He repeated his entreaty. “Spencer, can you hear me, if you can please answer. I need to know if you are ok”

“Harry? Yes, I am ok. The voice called out to me and told me that I was not to speak to you and that if I did there would be consequences. Then I fainted or something although I don’t think fainted is the right word because it happened suddenly and fainting has warning signs. Anyway when I woke up the voice was screaming, but not at me. It was very angry and loud. The room was shaking and filled with light. I couldn’t open my eyes, it was so bright and the voice was so loud. It was yelling about Mudbloods and blood traitors and calling things filth and the like. I don’t know what that means and I know I shouldn’t be talking to you because I am afraid of what the voice might do to me but I want to get out and I trust you when you say you will help me, so please Harry, get me out of here!” Spencer’s voice started to rise and Harry could tell he was panicking. 

Harry took a breath and then said, “Take a breath Spencer, it’s going to be ok. I think that I have contained the voice for now, so it shouldn’t bother us for a bit. I am sorry that we still haven’t managed to get you out but we are getting closer. We saw the light and heard the noise too. We aren’t sure why the voice is reacting the way it is, but we will protect you the best we can until we can get you out of there. Now are you taking deep breaths?”

“Yes, sorry it was just fucking scary and I lost control of my emotions a bit. I am better now.” Spencer’s voice was calmer so Harry continued speaking.

“That’s more than understandable I had a similar reaction when I saw the light and heard the noise, although to us it was just a wailing scream. Now I talked to Pansy and she was very happy that I was able to talk to you. She is getting some sleep, but hopefully we can get you out and reunite you with her soon. I am going to go talk to some experts now, but I will be back to talk soon okay?”

“Okay, thanks Harry”

“Stay strong and let us know if anything else happens”

“I will”

Harry walked out of the room and led the others to the conference room they had used last week. He briefed them all on his conversation with Spencer and told them that the Hocrux had begun to emit traces of dark magic as he approached it, but he was able to make it recede with a command. They looked at Harry with a little shock at this confession, but decided now was not the time to get into that part. Then the DoM liaison stood up as Harry took a seat.   
“I’m Mike Falstaff, I am an Unspeakable but also the DoM liaison for the DMLE. I can’t tell you everything that I have learned while working in the DoM, but I have a few ideas that might help us with this case that I am able to share. My theory is that this Horcrux was not made with the traditional intent. It was made with the intent of trying to bring back someone who is already dead instead of keeping someone who is still living alive if someone were to kill their body. It is meant to be a kind of gateway between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. The reason why I think Mr. Anderson got trapped inside is that it needs a living host to act as the gatekeeper. If the creator of this Horcrux was able to complete the ritual Mr. Anderson would be traded for the soul the creator wished to resurrect. This is why he is trapped. The ritual is incomplete and so there is no way to make the trade. To get him out, we have to somehow convince the Horcrux to release Mr. Anderson into the realm of the living without having to make the trade. I believe that the creator of this particular ritual was hoping that they could trade an innocent life for that of Tom Riddle. They did not care about their own immortality, but they wanted to ensure his. The evidence for this hypothesis is the fact that Mr. Anderson is still alive and able to communicate, which I would like to talk to you about later if you would be so kind Mr. Potter” He gave Harry a rather pointed look that made Harry squirm in his seat a little, “and that it is able to affect him inside the horcrux the way it is. It has a lot of control for something that should not technically have any. I think that not only is this horcrux made with a part of the creator’s soul, but also a part of their magical core. I have heard of such experiments in my many years as an Unspeakable, but only in theory and never in polite society. This object must be destroyed as soon as Mr. Anderson is free even though the academic in me is quite intrigued by the sheer magical intelligence that went into its creation, I am not so lost in curiosity to wish to understand this more fully, that knowledge should die with its creator.” Mike finished with a shudder of horror at the thought of what this horcrux could entail. 

“I agree with you Mr. Falstaff, the sooner we can figure out how to release Spencer, the faster we can destroy this thing. Do we think that similar methods to destroy a horcrux can be used? Also, if it is a gateway can we just trade the part of the soul inside for Spencer? Make it go into the realm of the dead and bring Spencer back?” Harry asked.

“I am not sure. If my theory is correct, we would have to open the Horcrux near the Death veil, call Spencer forward and banish the piece of the soul into the veil simultaneously. It would take a lot of coordination and a person who has power over the realm of the dead. Do you know someone like that?” Mike looked at Harry with a piercing look in his eyes. Harry took a breath and then addressed the rest of the people around him. 

“Can we have the room?” Harry looked at the others as he asked the question.

“Of course Harry, are you sure you will be okay?” Bill said, reluctant to leave Harry to share this information with another person.    
“Yes Bill, thanks.” The others left the room and Harry wandlessly set up wards so that what he was about to share could not be heard or magically recorded in any way.

“Mr. Falstaff” Harry began.

“Please call me Mike, I believe I am about to find out something rather important about you and I feel like it will be easier for you if we are on a first name basis. Also before you begin, know that as an Unspeakable, whatever you share with me in this room will go no further. I will of course make an unbreakable vow with you after if it would make you feel more comfortable, but as an Unspeakable trainee we take blood oaths before we are allowed to become full fledged Unspeakables to maintain the secrecy and information we receive while doing our job. It goes with the title, we are literally unable to speak about what we learn if it is presented to us with that understanding. So just start your explanation with, “What I Harry Potter am about to tell you shall from this moment on not be revealed or divulged even unto death and beyond” and I will be unable to share the information with anyone. I will of course be able to retain the information myself to use in the pursuit of further understanding of the mysteries of life and death, but no one will be able to get that information from me even if they are the strongest  Legilimens in the history of our world”. Mike finished with a solemn nod.

“Well, that makes me feel a lot better. I was going to reveal this information without all that, but I think that this is something that should not be broadcasted around for my sake as well as the sake of our world.” Harry took a breath and then said, “ What I, Harry Potter, am about to tell you shall from this moment on not be revealed or divulged even unto death and beyond.” A wave of magic swept through the room and then settled on Harry and Mike before disappearing. “Wow, ok. I am the Master of Death. I am the keeper of all three deathly hallows. I have the invisibility cloak and the resurrection stone in my possession although the stone, not directly. I believe I can recall it if I had need to, but for now it is, shall we say, “lost.” I am also the master of the Elder wand, but that rests beyond anyones’ reach. I do not wield them but they are loyal to me and as such I can command death. I have not really tried, nor do I want to, but as the Master of all three, I know I hold power that is not of this realm. That is why Bill Weasley called me down to try and talk to Spencer in the first place. He has some idea of my connection to the Hallows, but I trust him to not speak about it. If you think that will be enough to call Spencer from the realm of the dead and trade his soul for the one that resides in the Horcrux then I am game to try it. I think it would be best though, to have it just be you, Bill and myself present so that we don’t have to obliviate my friends and colleagues. It’s not that I don’t trust them, it’s just that it’s too great a burden to bear.”

“I agree with you. Thank you for sharing this information with me. It really helps to solidify my hypothesis and I think that what I proposed will work. I think we can try tomorrow. I want to do a bit more research into a calling ritual that many seers use to commune with the dead as the wording of the ritual is very important. Once I have that done and verified, we can try. I am pretty confident it will work and then we can go about destroying this Horcrux abomination.” Mike shook his head. Why anyone would not only separate their soul, but also their magical core for anything let alone the small chance they could recall a mad man to life was beyond even his understanding. 

“Sounds like a plan. Thank you for taking these steps to ensure my secret remains as such. I will await your call tomorrow.” Harry and he stood and shook hands. Harry canceled the wards around the room and opened the door. Bill was sitting in the chairs near the receptionist and told Harry that Charlotte had left for their office and the rest of the magiforensics team had left for the night. They had said that if they were needed they would be available, but thought that getting a fresh start in the morning was a good idea. The three men walked to the lifts, Mike took one lift to the DoM and Bill and Harry took the other to Harry and Charlotte’s floor.    
“So Harry” Bill began, “ Did you tell Mike about the Hallows?”

“Yes, as an Unspeakable he was able to guarantee that he would not divulge that information. Can you also promise that?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course, Harry, your mastery of Death is safe with me. I will make an unbreakable vow if you need me to, but I have never mentioned it to anyone, and I have no intention of doing so in the foreseeable future.”

“I trust you Bill, your line of work requires utmost discretion and secrecy so if I tell you not to share this information, I know you won’t. 

“Thanks Harr. What are you going to tell Charlotte though, she will want to know what you are doing.” 

“I will tell her what I can and also tell her that some things are not mine to share. She trusts me enough to hopefully let that be good enough” They exited the lifts and walked into Charlotte’s office.

“So what is the plan?” Charlotte asked as they sat in front of her desk.

“Well, we are all going to go home because it is almost 5:30 and I for one know that my wife will have my bollocks if I am late for dinner.” Bill chuckled. 

Harry smirked and said, “I concur with Bill, my husband will have a similar reaction if I am late without having told him beforehand. So yes, home for now. Then tomorrow, Bill, Mike and I are going to try and save Spencer. I know you don’t want to be excluded Char.” He continued quickly as Charlotte’s eyes flashed dangerously and her mouth opened to refute that statement, “But this is something that I have to do on my own with as few witnesses as possible. I have told Mike some things that are not common knowledge, even to my closest friends, and Bill knows somehow and so he will be there to support me as a curse breaker and a friend. I need you to trust that I know what I am doing and that if I thought telling you would be better for everyone I would, but it would be more of a burden knowing this Char, and I don’t want to put that on you. I am already a big enough burden for you to carry” Harry finished with a small smile. Charlotte chuckled a little wetly as though she was about to cry, but instead she stood up, gave Harry a big hug and told them both to go home to their partners before they started sending Howlers to her for keeping their loved ones too late. 

“Thanks for understanding Char, love you” Harry left the office with a cheeky wink and ducked the stinging hex Charlotte shot at his retreating form. Harry told Bill that Mike would call them when he was ready and Bill left with a hearty slap to Harry’s shoulder and a promise to hug his family for “Uncle Harry.” Harry then gathered his things from his office, Martin had obviously moved them from Charlotte’s office chair and hung them in his, Harry mused, and then made his way to the lifts and down to the atrium. He walked to the apparition booth and landed outside his and Draco’s house. He walked up the steps and opened the door. He was glad the day was over, it had been a big one, and tomorrow was going to be even worse, but he knew that it would soon be all over and he could spend some down time with his little family.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Harry be able to save Spencer?

When he arrived home he was met with silence. This puzzled him as whenever the boys were home there was always a hum of activity so complete silence was never a thing. He removed his robes and shoes and walked towards the lounge. He stopped short in the doorway at the sight that met his eyes. Candles littered every surface and a roaring fire filled the fireplace. Draco was seated on the floor atop a blanket and big cushions surrounded them. In front of him were takeaway containers from their favourite Chinese place. He looked up when he heard Harry and smiled at his quizzical look. 

“Come here, I have food. I heard through the grapevine that today was difficult.” Draco motioned for Harry to sit down. Harry strode over and sat down beside Draco. 

“This is amazing, it has been a hard day, but coming home to you makes it better. Where are the boys and who told you about my day” Harry asked. 

“At Molly’s. She is having them and Bill’s kids over for a cousin sleepover. The boys were so excited. I will pick them up after lunch tomorrow. Bill called me and gave me very few details beyond how tough today was and told me Molly was going to take the boys so we could have a quiet evening together. I hope that’s ok, I know you love them as a distraction, but I can also serve that purpose if need be.” Draco winked and then continued, “Now let’s eat and then you can tell me what happened today.” Draco passes Harry a plate and they start scooping out rice and gingered chicken and chicken chow mein. They sit in silence for a few moments savouring the wonderful food. Harry then starts telling Draco what had happened in the Mysteries of Death room and how he had been so happy to hear Spencer’s voice and able to tell Pansy that he was ok. Then he told Draco how he had gone back to the labs and how the horcrux had been wailing and throwing out light and how he had somehow calmed it down. He told Draco how tomorrow they were going to try to call Spencer through the veil and exchange his soul for Nott’s. As they finished their meal they cracked open their fortune cookies. Harry’s said, “you are facing challenges, stay true to who you are and all will be well”

“Well that’s a little too on the nose!” Draco chuckled.

“No kidding. Well, at least I know what I need to do to be successful, and as that’s how I live my life as much as I can, I think that bodes well for Spencer as well.” Harry grinned.

“True. Now. How are you feeling about using your mastery of the Hallows to make this happen? I know you hate having to acknowledge and wield the power you have because of them, so do you think that you will be mentally able to handle the complexity of what will be required of you during that ritual? Will you be able to face the aftermath if it doesn’t go the way you hope? All the positive thinking in the world may not be enough to undo the horror that is contained in that horcrux. I don’t want to bring you down, but I also want you to think through everything so you are prepared. I know you will try your best but if you do something to put yourself in danger I will be so cross with you. If you do not come back to me whole and healthy we will be having words Potter.” Draco’s eyes gleamed like cold steel.

“I know you’re worried, love, and I will promise to make sure that both Bill and Mike understand they are to stop me from doing anything foolish, that is why they are there, but I don’t think you need to be overly concerned. I have too much to live for that I won’t take the kind of risks that I used to. That is not my job, and that is why I never entered the Auror Academy. I would never risk not being with you or our boys. I just love you all too damn much to do that, but I have to try. I can’t leave Spencer in that place, not when there is a chance that he can come back safe. It has to be me that does this, but I won’t sacrifice myself. If it doesn’t work we will find another way.” Harry pulled Draco to him and wrapped his arms around his husband. He knew Draco had a point and that Harry’s track record was not pristine, but Harry also knew that he could not live with himself if he didn’t try everything he could. This was not a normal case from the beginning, it was a high risk puzzle with many moving parts and lives at stake. It was not something Harry took lightly but he also knew it was not just his burden to bear. He knew that was what Draco was trying to tell him. 

“I know that you think I will try to do this alone and go all, ‘Savior’ and ‘Chosen One’ on you but I won’t. I will listen to the experts and I will only do what they say is safe. I promise you that” Harry pulled away from their embrace and looked Draco deep in his eyes. He saw Draco’s attitude shift from wary to fond and he knew that he had reassured his husband. 

“Ok” Draco sighed, “ I believe that you will try to be safe and you will not do anything foolish. I will still worry, but I know you will think things through and not be impulsive. We are not 17 anymore and I do trust you implicitly, but I love you and can’t stand thinking you could be hurt in any way.” Draco held Harry closer again. Harry nuzzled into Draco’s neck and whispered, “Nobody loves me like you” to which Draco repeated, “Nobody loves  _ me _ like  _ you _ , let’s go to bed, it’s going to be a hard day no matter what and you need to be as alert as possible” Harry banished the takeaway containers and their dishes to the kitchen and followed Draco upstairs. He wasn’t sure what tomorrow would entail, but he knew that no matter what he had all that he needed right in front of him. 

Harry woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. Draco was no longer beside him in bed, so he got up and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He walked up behind Draco and wrapped his arms around his middle and kissed his neck.

“Mmmm, good morning my love. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I feel great, thank you for last night, I love our boys, but knowing that I didn’t have to worry about them waking in the night or having to sort them out this morning was a real gift. You were also a real gift, just so you know.” Draco turned in his arms and put his arms around Harry’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. 

“You’re more than welcome love, I enjoy having one on one time with you and knowing our boys are having a grand ol’ time at the Burrow makes it easier to not fret. Breakfast is almost done, do you mind getting the table ready?” Draco released Harry and turned back to the stove. Harry set the table and poured orange juice into the glasses and coffee into the mugs, adding too much sugar to Draco’s and only cream to his. Draco levitated the food over and they settled into companionable silence as they enjoyed the bacon buttys, boiled eggs and fresh fruit. Harry helped to clean up and then headed upstairs to shower while Draco went to the study to get some work started. As Harry was pulling his socks on, he heard Draco calling. He headed down the stairs and walked into the study to see Bill’s head in their fireplace.    
“Hey Bill, I was expecting a call from Mike”

“Yes, well you have so many wards on your place that no one can get through without invitation from the Queen, so he asked me to call as I have special privileges as family.” Bill smiled as cheekily as one can through fire, and grinned wider as he saw Harry begin to protest.

“I forgot to key him into the Floo, and you know the hassle we had with the reporters a few years ago, it’s as much for their protection as ours!” Harry replied exasperatedly. 

“Yes, well, if you are able, Mike is ready for you in the DoM and wants to start as soon as possible. Are you ready or should I tell him you still need to make yourself look presentable” Bill quirked an eye at Harry as though he looked dishevelled and couldn’t possibly be ready to go to work. Harry flipped two fingers at him and mumbled about finding a nicer brother as he had 4 others to choose from, and told Bill he would apparate over in 5 minutes. Bill grinned and politely said goodbye to Draco while Harry scowled. 

“I like him, he’s so nice,” Draco laughed at Harry’s disgruntled protest.

“He is a prat and he knows it,” Harry sniffed. He grabbed his carryall and his wand which he pointed at the boots he had just pulled on and had the laces tying themselves. He kissed Draco on the head and turned to leave. His hand was just on the knob when he felt Draco rush up behind him. He turned and was immediately pushed against the door as Draco kissed him desperately. After a few moments of getting lost in the kiss, Harry slowly moved away and cupped Draco’s cheeks in his palms.    
“I will be fine love, I will be home for dinner, or earlier if I can manage it and then we will have a cozy evening with our boys. Spencer will be home with Pansy and all will be well. Stay positive yeah?”

“I will, I love you. Be safe and alert and don’t do anything that will put yourself in danger. Do I make myself clear?” Draco finished with a menacing look on his face. 

“Crystal, my love.” Harry kissed him again. Draco let him leave this time and Harry smiled as he turned on the spot. 

Harry took the lifts to the DoM and Bill met him at the entrance. Harry pretended to go in for a hug but swiftly turned it into a punch on the arm.

“OW! What was that for your brat!?”

“That was for being a prat and being mean to me” Harry smirked.

“I was not being mean, I was just informing you that you needed to update your Floo network and that as a member of the DMLE you should look put together so people take you seriously.” Bill jumped to the side as Harry attempted to swat him again. 

“Let’s just get inside and try to save a life okay?” Harry said haughtily. Bill laughed and led Harry to the Mystery of Death room. Harry took a deep breath and then walked up to where Mike was waiting. 

“Thank you for joining us Harry. I think we have everything set up, we think it’s better if Mr. Anderson is unaware of what we are going to attempt to do. We don’t know if the piece of Nott is aware of us enough to hear what we are saying right now, but we don’t want to tip him off as it were and give him a chance to either stop us or harm Mr. Anderson. If you would follow me to the Dais, we can begin the ritual.” Mike began walking as he explained what he was going to do. Harry reluctantly followed and nodded as Mike told him that he would only have to call for Spencer when Mike told him to, with any luck the incantations Mike would speak would be enough to thin the veil and allow for the transfer of souls. Mike told Harry to sit in a runic circle that had been drawn on the floor in front of the archway. Mike then explained that the circle would act as a landing place if all went well and that Harry should be safe within it. Mike had placed the Horcrux on the floor in front of the archway just outside the circle. He drew another circle around the Horcrux as he chanted words that Harry could not understand. Harry felt the Dark Magic rising up out of the Horcrux and then it looked as though a tornado had formed inside the second circle that Mike had drawn. Harry shuddered as the Horcrux began to wail. Mike continued to chant as he walked around Harry and the Horcrux. Harry watched his progress to make sure that he didn’t miss his cue. As Mike made his next circuit Harry saw that Bill had his wand trained on the Dais, most likely to put up a shield charm if things went sideways. Harry turned back to watching the Horcrux, the tornado inside the horcrux was spinning faster and faster, but the wailing was not as loud. Mike finished his third circuit and called to Harry to speak the words on the parchment he had been handed.

“I, Harry James Malfoy-Potter, Master of Death, call out to Spencer Anderson who is beyond the veil. Spencer Anderson you were forcibly sent into the realm of death before your appointed time without my consent and knowledge. You do not belong there, you belong here in the realm of the living until I feel it is your time to move on. Come back now and be here with us. I call out to the realm of the dead to hear my voice and to allow Spencer Anderson to come forth” Harry took a breath and watched in amazement as a ghostlike shape appeared in the archway. He continued his speech.

“Cantankerous Nott, you have tried to cheat death and manipulated the natural cycle of life, your soul has been ripped apart by your disregard for the sanctity of all that makes us human. Through these abominable deeds, you have forfeited your soul to Death and as Master of Death I call upon the realm of the dead to take your soul in exchange for the soul of Spencer Anderson, which you so carelessly entrapped. You shall not be at rest until all of your soul can be joined back together when Death comes for you at the appointed time. You must pay the price for your actions and so I command Death to trade your soul for that of Spencer Anderson. May he join the living as is his right and may you take his place beyond the veil. So mote it be.” There was an earsplitting wail and the Horcrux sprang open. The tornado inside the circle turned black and was pulled into the archway. The ghostlike shape walked forward until it entered the circle that Harry now stood in and as soon as it crossed the line of the circle, Spencer Anderson appeared fully alive and corporeal. He ran forward and hugged Harry, who returned the hug. He felt Spencer collapse against him and then he was the only thing keeping Spencer upright. He carefully laid Spencer on the floor and cast a diagnostic spell. Everything came back normal except for an elevated heart rate. Bill rushed over and asked Harry what happened. Harry said he thought Spencer had just fainted, Bill cast a rennervate spell and Spencer began to stir. Mike came over and told Spencer to drink a potion which he told Spencer was medicine. He eyed it for a moment but did as he was asked. He smiled as the potion took effect. 

“Harry?” Spencer’s voice wobbled as he looked at Harry with so many questions in his eyes.

“Yes, I’m Harry, this is Bill and Mike. We are so glad we were able to get you out of that place. How are you feeling?   
“I think I feel ok, it was a little overwhelming when I first saw you, but whatever was in that medicine seems to have taken care of that. Can you tell me how you were able to rescue me?

“Did Pansy ever tell you about the statute of Secrecy?” Harry asked in response.

“Yes, she mentioned that Muggles aren’t allowed to know too much about magic, even those married to witches or wizards, and if there were things that would break that statute I was not allowed to know. Are you implying that this is one of those times?” Spencer asked warily. 

“Unfortunately, yes, but not really because you are a muggle, but because it has to do with things that not even other witches or wizards should know. Just know that what happened to you won’t ever happen to anyone else. You are safe and you will be taken to see Pansy very soon, and know that she is safe and so is your home. What happened to you had nothing to do with who you are or who Pansy was, it was an unfortunate coincidence and we will be working hard to ensure it never happens again. There are very evil people out there and the one that did this to you is locked away for life, of that I am sure. Spencer nodded. Mike asked Spencer to follow him to his office where he would be processed and then released. Harry assured him that once he was done, Harry would be there to take him to Pansy. Spencer thanked Harry and Bill and followed Mike out. Harry let out a big breath as he sunk to the steps of the dais. 

“That was so intense. As I was speaking it was as though another presence had taken over, I felt more power course through me than I ever thought possible. It was incredible. I felt the part of Nott’s soul trying to fight against what I was saying, but in the end it had no choice. Being the Master of Death and calling on that power is not something I want to do too often. I know that Death is necessary, but it felt so wrong to order it around like that. I don’t ever want to have that kind of power or responsibility although it sure came in handy today.” Harry took another deep breath. 

“It was so incredible to watch, and terrifying. When the Horcrux blew open I almost pissed myself” Bill laughed haltingly. “I’m so glad it worked but I do not want to ever have to witness that again. He shuddered.

“You and me both” Harry slung his arm around Bill’s shoulder. “Let’s go reunite a family. I’ll call Draco and tell him to meet us there. We need to celebrate”

“Agreed” Bill put his arm around Harry’s waist as they walked to Mike’s office. It was comforting for both of them to know that everything would be okay.

They took a taxi to Narcissa’s townhouse as they wouldn’t try to apparate with Spencer. As soon as they knocked on the door, Pansy was barreling through it and into Spencer’s arms. Bill and Harry walked into the house and allowed the couple to have their moment. Draco and Narcissa stood as they entered the lounge and Draco pulled Harry into a tight hug. “I knew you could do it, you are the most powerful wizard I know. Thank you for keeping your promises.” Harry pulled away slightly so he could kiss his husband and then pulled him close again as he melted into the embrace. It had been a lot and knowing Draco was his soft place to land, Harry felt all the adrenaline seep out as he stood there sheltered in his husband’s arms. Draco held him tight knowing that Harry needed a few moments to come back down from the ordeal. They broke apart when they heard Pansy and Spencer enter the lounge. Pansy clung to Spencer’s waist and Spencer held on to Pansy as though she was his anchor. Pansy let go of Spencer long enough to give Harry a hug and a teary thank you and then they both sat on one of the couches and the others followed suit. They made quiet conversation as they drank their tea and Spencer and Pansy murmured quietly to each other. When dinner was almost ready, Draco flooed over to the Burrow and picked up the boys. He knew that they would want to see Pansy happy and to meet Spencer. Harry also needed to see them as he always felt more grounded when the boys were near. When they had come through the fireplace they immediately ran to Harry and gave him a huge hug.    
“Daddy! We missed you! Did you help Aunt Pansy? Did you make her happy?”

“Yes, I was able to save Uncle Spencer and Aunt Pansy is very happy, we are going to have supper with them so you can see for yourself.” Harry replied with a smile. 

“I’m so proud of you Daddy!” Scorpius beamed up at Harry who ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek.

“Thanks buddy, I had help and I am glad that my team did such a great job” Harry smirked at Bill.

He gathered the boys up in his arms and went into the dining room with Draco following behind him. 

“Aunty Pansy! Are you happy now?” Scorpius ran over to her as soon as Harry put him down and climbed into her lap.

“Yes sweetheart, your daddy was able to get your uncle Spencer back and that has made me so happy. Spencer, this is Scorpius and that ragamuffin over there is James. They are Harry and Draco’s boys.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both” Spencer smiled at Scorpius and James and Scorpius reached over to shake his hand. 

“Nice to meet you too Uncle Spencer.” Scorpius replied solemnly and Pansy smiled behind his head.

“Yes it’s nice to meet you Uncle Spencer.” James echoed from across the table. 

“Scorp come and sit in your chair so we can start eating”. Draco beckoned his son over to his chair. Scorpius kissed Pansy on the cheek and slid down from her lap and made his way over to his chair beside James. 

“Your boys are so well behaved, I am quite impressed Potter” Pansy smirked.

“That’s all Draco, I can assure you, but they are not always this well behaved. They just know that Gran Narcissa won’t tolerate bad manners at the table.” Potter replied. 

“Ya, Gran says we need to behave like gentlemen at the dinner table because it’s important to her that she can enjoy her meal and the company and she doesn’t fancy eating with a bunch of monkeys.” James explained.

“Yes, Gran told us that Papa wasn’t as good as we are when he was our age and Daddy said that he still isn’t as good as we are” Scorpius said proudly.

“That’s correct, you two are perfect gentlemen at Gran’s table. Other places, however…” Harry trailed off. 

“We can’t be gentlemen all the time Daddy! That’s way too hard!” James cried incredulously. Harry smiled at his son and nodded his agreement.

Narcissa came in from the kitchen levitating the dishes full of food and they glided onto the table. Everyone began passing the dishes around the table and Harry helped serve the boys their food. Once everyone had their plates filled, conversation resumed. Harry explained to Pansy and Spencer that the magiforensic scientist team finished their sweep of the shop and they could return home whenever they wanted. Narcissa invited them to spend the night at her place and they could go home in the morning if they so wished, and Spencer asked Pansy what made her the most comfortable.

“I think that having you there with me will make being home okay, but maybe seeing it in the day for the first time will make it feel less scary.” Pansy explained. Spencer kissed her forehead and graciously accepted Narcissa’s invitation. 

“When dinner was finished they retired to the lounge for tea and dessert and the boys settled into a chair to look at some books that Narcissa kept for them. The adults chatted until Draco looked over at the boys and noticed they were both yawning frequently and had slumped down together in the chair.

“I’m so glad to have met you Spencer and I am so thankful you were brought home safe, but I think we will have to call it an evening as I think our little men are about 30 seconds away from falling asleep.” 

Harry glanced at the boys and nodded in agreement.

“I hope you both have a peaceful night and we will connect later in the week to see how things are going” Harry added.

The two men scooped up their sons, kissed Narcissa on the cheek as they said their goodbyes and walked over to the fireplace. Spencer watched them in awe as they were carried away to their house.

“That is amazing and terrifying at the same time” he whispered to Pansy. “I wish you had magic for your sake, but I don’t think I would ever really feel completely sure that you wouldn’t get burned doing that, and I don’t think my heart would be able to stand the uncertainty.” Pansy chuckled and kissed her husband on the cheek and then whispered, “There are many benefits to having magic, but I would give them all up every time to have you in my arms”    
“Well, I am off too” Bill sighed. “Thank you so much Mrs. Malfoy for the lovely dinner, and I am so glad that I could be a part of your rescue Spencer. Pansy I am so glad that everything worked out and I sincerely hope that you never have to go through anymore hardships.” Bill kissed Narcissa’s and Pansy’s hands and shook Spencer’s. 

“Thank you so much for helping Harry and for all that you have done for this case. We are immensely thankful for your expertise and you giving up your time to help us.” Pansy replied. 

“You are most welcome, have a peaceful night.” Bill stepped into the fireplace and vanished in a swirl of green flames. Pansy felt Spencer shudder beside her. She grinned and then looked at Narcissa. 

“I think we will retire early, I have not slept well in a week and I am not sure I can keep my eyes open for much longer, thank you so much for letting us stay here”

“Of course my darling, you know that I see you as one of my own and it warms my heart to know that you feel safe and comforted by being here. Now not only do I have two sons, two grandsons, I now have a daughter and son in law. I am very blessed.” Narissa gathered Pansy in her arms and hugged her hard, and then turned to Spencer and hugged him as well. 

“We are honored to be called family” Pansy wiped her eyes.

“Now now, no more tears, get to bed the both of you and we will have a nice leisurely breakfast tomorrow and then you can head home.”

“Sounds like a good plan, Narcissa” Pansy agreed.

“None of that now, You can call me mother if you want, I know that it would make me feel much better if you did”

“Of course, mother” Pansy smiled as her eyes glistened with fresh tears.

“Good night, and if you need anything I am not far away” Narcissa kissed Pansy and Spencer on the cheek and made her way up to her master suite. 

“I like her” Spencer said as he and Pansy settled into the guest suite’s king-sized bed. “She seems like a very wonderful woman and if she can embrace a muggle as a son, then I think she is someone that we should get to know better. I know that you told me a little about Pure-blood prejudice, but it seems as though this family has changed. I wonder if that was all Harry’s doing or if Draco also had a change of heart and convinced his mother to reconsider.”

“I’m not sure, maybe that and the fact that Narcissa saw how thinking blood mattered, almost completely destroyed her family, maybe she decided that she would forge a new path and embrace everything that she once shunned. I would really like to talk to her more about that. I wasn’t in a frame of mind to do much talking about deeper things while I was so frantic.” Pansy admitted.

“I am so sorry darling. I cannot imagine what you went through. I promise you I am completely fine and while it was a terrifying ordeal, I was not harmed physically. It may take a while for me to really believe that I am safe and that you are here with me, but I think over time that will fade. All I need is to hold you and then I will know that I am safe. You are my safe place Pansy Anderson, and I love you to my core.” Spencer pulled his wife to his chest and kissed her passionately. She returned to kiss with everything that she had. 

“I love you to my core as well, Spencer Anderson and I am so glad you are here with me. I need you to hold me too, so I know that you are safe” Pansy said after they stopped for a breath. She then settled into Spencer’s arms and they both drifted off to sleep, so happy to be with each other again in a safe place and full of love. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry wraps up the case and Narcissa surprises the family.

Harry woke up to the sun streaming through the windows. He wasn’t usually one for a lie in so he was quite surprised when he checked the time and saw that it was almost 11:00. He rubbed his eyes as he stretched. He felt like he could sleep for a few more hours or days, he wasn’t picky, but he knew he should probably get up and get to the office to finish up the case. He wasn’t in a hurry as the most time sensitive part of the case was completed, but he still had to talk to the goblins, which made him internally shudder, and he needed to make sure that there were no other dark artifacts residing in Mr. Johnson’s vaults. He thought about his to do list and groaned. He really didn’t want to face goblins today. Maybe he should call in sick and spend the day on the couch. He was sure Charlotte would understand and then he could recoup from yesterday’s ordeal. He didn’t mention it to Draco, as his husband was a worrier and would most likely coddle him in an adorable but aggravating manner, but the ritual had taken more out of Harry than he would like to admit. He felt drained emotionally, physically, and magically. He felt like he was running on fumes and he did not like feeling that way. What if he was needed for an emergency and he could not help because he had nothing left to give. He had felt this way after the battle for months and feeling it now made him edgy and irritated with himself. “Pull yourself together Potter!” He admonished himself quietly just as the door to his and Draco’s room opened. 

“That’s Malfoy-Potter dear and why are you needing to pull yourself together? What’s wrong?” Draco backed into the room carrying a tray with mugs of coffee and a stack of bacon sandwiches. 

“Nothing is wrong, just feeling a little tired” Harry smiled weakly as he accepted the mug from Draco. 

“Now darling, you know that I can tell when you are lying because you are a horrible liar, and so would you care to try that again, or do I have to get our sons in here to tickle it out of you?” Draco admonished. Harry closed his eyes but smiled.

“You’re right. I know I can’t lie to you, you always see right through me, but a bloke can try. I think that this case took more out of me than I realized and I am feeling a little, ok very,” he amended when Draco raised his eyebrow at the word, “depleted from it all and I was just thinking that I should take the day to recoup but then I was trying to psych myself up to just keep going” Harry admitted sheepishly.

“While I understand the need to finish up your case, I know that if you don’t take time to get yourself back to “fighting strength” as you call it, you will be more likely to miss something or cut corners to get it done. Just take the day, it’s half over anyway. Charlotte called and told me to keep you here until tomorrow at the earliest, so you really have no legs to stand on. Your husband and your work wife are both working together so you really have no chance.” Draco smirked.

“Well, then I guess I will just have to suffer through a lazy day surrounded by my loving husband and doting sons” Harry sighed dramatically.

“Yes, it will be a hardship but you have been through worse. Licked by puppies or some such horror.” Draco smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek. “I expect all those bacon sandwiches to be eaten before you leave this bed sir, and then we will have a fort building, movie marathon, and takeaway pizza eating contest this afternoon. The troops are already gathering supplies and making movie selections as we speak.” Draco settled beside Harry on the bed with a book and read to him while he ate. Harry loved hearing Draco read. It was one of the things they did during the early stages of their relationship. Draco would read their textbooks aloud to Harry as they studied together, and Harry always seemed to retain the information much better if he could remember it in Draco’s soothing posh voice. Then after they left Hogwarts Draco would read muggle classics to Harry after he woke up from a nightmare or if he couldn’t sleep after a particularly hard day. Harry always felt so comforted, loved, and safe hearing Draco’s voice reading  _ Lord of the Rings _ , or  _ 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea _ . At first Harry had also felt guilty about dragging Draco into his depressive days, but Draco had, once Harry had confessed this, told him that it made him feel better knowing he was helping, and it also gave him something to focus on when he could not do anything else. “I am your boyfriend, Potter, let me help you in one of the only ways I can. I can’t take the nightmares away, I can’t cure you, but if this makes you feel better, even a little bit, I want to do it. I love you and I want to care for you.” Harry had tackled Draco and covered him in kisses after this little speech, and from that moment on, they would just fall into the pattern. Draco would read and Harry would lay his head in Draco’s lap and let the words wash over him like a healing salve. Today it was Bacon sandwiches and the Hobbit. Draco preferred the Hobbit to Lord of the Rings and Harry secretly agreed, but on principle said that the Lord of the Rings was better. Once the sandwiches were finished and the chapter finished, the two men got up and Harry headed for the shower, while Draco took the dishes to the kitchen and started on lunch for himself and the boys. The boys had gathered all the blankets and pillows they owned and piled them in the middle of the lounge. They then chose two movies each and put those on top of the DVD player. Draco called them into the kitchen for lunch and they discussed which movie to start with. 

“I think we should start with Toy Story 1 and 2 and then Robin Hood and Peter Pan” Scorpius said.

“Or should we do Toy Story, Robin Hood, Toy Story 2 and then Peter Pan, break it up a bit so we don’t get bored?” James countered. 

“Hmmm, that does make sense, but I really like Toy Story 2 and if we don’t watch it right away, we may get bored and want to do something else and then we won’t get to watch it at all.” Scorpius reasoned. 

“Ok, how ‘bout we watch Toy Story 2 first, then we can watch Robin Hood and then Toy Story, and finish with Peter Pan if we still want to keep watchin’? ” James asked.

“But then we’re seeing it out of order, can you do that? It feels wrong to do that.” Scorpius seemed scandalized yet a little excited. 

“Well we’ve seen them all a bajillion times, so it really doesn’t matter as long as we see the ones we really want, which is Toy Story 2 and Robin Hood” James said with finality.

“Ok Jamie, that works for me” Scorpius smiled and went back to his lunch.

Draco shook his head, sometimes his boys were so much like he and Harry it was comical yet frightening. They could argue like crups and kneazles, but then they could turn around and talk through things like they were 13 not 3. Harry came into the kitchen to a chorus of “Morning Daddy” and “Wow you slept a long time!” “Are you feeling ok?” 

“Yes my loves, Daddy had a big day yesterday and I was a little knackered, so your wonderful Papa let me sleep a little longer than normal. Now, I hear that we are having a Fort building and movie afternoon. Is that why there is a mountain of blankets and pillows in the lounge?” Harry grinned at his boy's sheepish smiles. 

“Yes daddy, we wanted to make sure that we were all super cozy and that the fort had enough blankets so that it wouldn’t fall down.” Scorpius replied.

“I see, well we can’t have a falling down fort. As soon as your lunch is fully eaten we can get started, but don’t stuff your face Jamie, or you’ll choke” Harry finished quickly as he saw James take huge bites of his sandwich so it would be eaten faster. 

“Sowee duddy” James tried with his mouth full. Harry sighed and shook his head fondly at his son. Once the boys had finished their lunch and Draco had made two bowls of popcorn, the four of them trooped into the lounge to begin the construction of what James was already hailing, “Megafort.” They ran ropes from the four corners of the room with two that crisscrossed in the middle and hung blankets and sheets on each rope to form walls on three sides with the TV side open. Then Draco Transfigured some of the pillows into 4 large mats and used the rest for backrests. The boys settled on two mats beside each other and pulled their favorite blankets on to their laps. Harry hung twinkle lights from the ceiling and centered the lowered coffee table in between them to serve as the snack holder. He then asked the boys which movie they wanted to start with and Scorpius told him that they had agreed to watch Toy Story 2 first because it was their favourite. Harry popped in the DVD and then settled back on his mat next to Draco who drew a blanket over the both of them. The boys giggled and stuffed themselves full of popcorn as Woody and Buzz had many adventures. Harry loved the part in Al’s Toy Barn where the car full of toys found the Barbie aisle. Draco loved the part where Woody discovers all the merchandise made because of him. Harry remembers the first time they saw the film. Draco had nattered on and on about how the Weasleys should do the same thing with Harry. “Just think Potter, you could have a yo-yo with your face on it!” When the film ended the boys wanted more popcorn, but Draco said they needed to save room for pizza, so while he went to order it, they had a small wrestling match with Harry to burn off some energy. Harry won until they started double teaming him and then he was forced to “surrender” which garnered loud shouts of triumph from the two boys. Draco returned and told them the pizza would be there in 30 minutes, so they could start the next film while they waited. Harry set up the next film and then settled back against Draco. 

“This is just what I needed love, thank you” Harry whispered. 

“You’re most welcome my darling. I know how much these simple things make you feel better and I love having these memories with our boys. They may not remember it all, but they will remember that we valued time with them over things that we could buy for them.” 

Yes, toys come and go and with them especially, will break before too long, but these moments will be something they don’t forget.”

“Shhhhh, Papa, Daddy, This is the best part!” Scorpius scolded.

“Sorry love, we will watch” Draco smiled and kissed Harry’s cheek, “Hush now, we don’t want to miss a film we’ve seen a hundred times.” 

Harry chuckled, “They’re still too young to understand sarcasm, thank Merlin.”

“Mmmm” Draco hummed in the affirmative.

Harry was just drifting off when there was a knock at the door and James yelled, “PIZZA!” and took off towards the front door. 

Harry struggled to his feet and went after his energetic son. Jamie, wait for me, remember we don’t answer the door by ourselves. 

“Yes Daddy, I wasn’t going to open it, I was waiting” James looked up at Harry with pure innocence on his face.

“Good, now you get out one 20 pound note and one 10 pound note and I will open the door.” Harry grasped the handle and pulled the door open to reveal their favourite delivery person. 

“Hey Frank, how are you today?”

“Great Harry, hey James, how are ya mate?” Frank asked James.

“I’m great Mr. Frank, better now that you’re here. I’m starving for pizza!” 

“Well hand over the cash and I’ll hand over the dough” Frank chuckled at his own pun. 

“Here you go Frank, 20 and 10 pounds. How much does that equal Daddy?” James asked.

“Well, what is two plus one?” Harry asked.

“Three”

“Ok, so a three and a zero behind it makes what number?” James scrunched up his nose and forehead.

“Thir dee?” James asked hesitantly.

“Smart lad, 20 plus 10 equals 30!” Harry smiled down at his son. 

“You’ve got a genius mathematician on your hands there Harry, He could be a financial wizard.”

“Or just a regular one” Harry thought.

“Thanks for the pizzas Frank, we’ll see you again I’ll wager” Harry waved as James closed the door.

“Does Frank know we already are wizards Daddy?” James asked as they walked back to the lounge. 

“No son, he is a muggle, so when he said you could be a wizard, he just meant a really smart guy, which you are as well.” Harry smiled as James puffed out his chest and announced to Scorpius that Frank called him a really smart wizard.

“Of course you’re smart Jamie, we both are” Scorpius said with conviction. 

“That you are boys, now let’s gather around the table and eat this fabulous cheese pizza and finish Robin Hood.” Draco set napkins down as plates and the four of them dug into the pizza as Robin Hood and Little John stole the gold from right under Prince John’s nose. After the second film the boys were getting restless and even though they wanted to watch Toy Story, they decided that a few laps around the garden was needed more, so they got their trainers on and raced each other around the garden while Harry and Draco cleaned up the dinner things. Once the boys had tired themselves out, they asked for hot chocolate and biscuits for a snack and then settled back in the fort for the final film. They decided that three movies was enough and that Peter Pan could wait for another day. Halfway through the film however, Harry glanced over and found the boys fast asleep. He nudged Draco and slowly they pulled their boys into their arms and carried them upstairs. They quickly washed their faces and brushed their teeth and got them into pajamas. They tucked them in with kisses and crept back downstairs. 

“So, shall we finish Toy Story or do you want to watch something a little more PG?” Draco smirked.

“I was thinking 14A, myself” Harry replied.

“Oooh rebel, what did ya have in mind?”

“Something action, how about The Bourne Identity?” 

“Sounds good, I’ll make tea, should I add a little pick me up?” Draco asked.

“Just a small one, I do have to meet with Goblins tomorrow” Harry replied.

“Right, maybe you should have one in the morning as well” Draco chuckled.

“Ha ha..” Harry replied sarcastically. After Draco returned with the drinks the two men settled back in the fort for the film that was more to their age and taste. Once the film was done, they cleaned up the lounge with a few well placed spells and headed to bed. As Harry lay on Draco’s chest, he whispered. “Thank you so much babe, this day was exactly what I needed. I have been pretty stressed with everything and I needed a day to just be with my favourite people.”

“Of course my love, I wanted you to have a moment to relax and regroup and I am so glad that today could do that”

“I’m exhausted still and I can’t wait to just fall asleep with you” Harry yawned. 

“I’ve got you, just let go, I will keep you safe” Draco said as he stroked Harry’s hair. He had said these words so often to Harry over the years, it was now just something he said out of habit even though he still meant it with all his heart. 

“Love you too” Harry mumbled as he drifted off. 

The next day Harry made his way to Diagon Alley where he met Charlotte outside of Gringotts. 

“Hey Stranger, ready to work with your actual partner for once?” Charlotte said as she glared at Harry.

“I come with a peace offering. A hot cup of tea made exactly the way you like it, and a chocolate croissant from that pastry shop we love” Harry handed Charlotte a takeaway cup and a pastry bag. 

“Ok, you’re forgiven” Charlotte winked at Harry’s incredulous stare and then chuckled. “What? You know I would do anything for that pastry! It’s the only good thing in my life! Well that, my brother, you, your family, etcetera… but this croissant is the best out of all of you.”

“I love you too, now let’s get this meeting over with” Harry growled. Charlotte laughed again, and followed Harry up the steps of the bank. They walked up to a goblin that was not busy with a customer and informed him that they had a meeting with Bragnuck and were wondering if he could let him know they were there. The goblin eyed Harry suspiciously, but left to tell Bragnuck that his customers were there. 

“Every time I come they look at me as though I’m going to steal a dragon and break through the ceiling again, I mean, don’t you think it’s time to let it go, I apologized, I paid for the repairs. What more do they want?” 

“Harry, you have this tirade every time we have to come here. I think you just need to accept that this will be how you are treated and just ignore them. Not everyone needs to tolerate you like I do.” Charlotte snickered at Harry’s indignant gasp.

“You are so mean to me! I don’t know why I put up with you!” Harry whined. 

“Because your husband would be super upset if you cut me out of your life due to the fact that he likes me more than you” Charlotte smirked.

“Like I said, mean!” Harry huffed. Before they could continue their back and forth, Bragnuck came over and told them to follow him to his office. He sat down behind a large desk and Harry and Charlotte took the seats in front of him. 

“So I hear you are interested in one of our family vaults. The owner has sent over his permission for the two of you to examine the contents and to remove any items that contain dark magic, however, we would like to be able to confirm your findings before we allow you to remove the items in question. We have asked a curse breaker who is familiar with such things to accompany you to the vault today, is that satisfactory?” Bragnuck asked

“Yes, we would not expect anything less from this fine establishment, and we will totally comply with whatever stipulations you may have.” Harry agreed readily as Charlotte gave a knowing smile. She knew Harry would agree with anything the goblins proposed in hopes that they would soften their demeanor towards him. 

“You have also requested the logs for the vault to see who accessed it in the last 20 years and what was left or taken. While many vaults would have countless pages of entries, this vault has not been accessed very often over that time period so that should help you greatly I expect” Bragnuck handed over one page of parchment. “It looks as though Mr. C. Nott requested access to that particular vault 12 years ago and did remove several items. They are listed here. Then 6 months after the initial visit he returned to the vault but our records indicate that there was nothing left behind or taken that day. It is possible that he could have slipped something into the vault without reporting it, especially if it was a dark object that he did not want anyone knowing he had. Now the goblin that gave him access requested is no longer employed here. He actually asked for a transfer to Cairo two weeks after assisting Mr. Nott and had an accident that wiped his memory while investigating a cursed tomb there.” Charlotte and Harry looked at each other with raised eyebrows, that was surely not a coincidence. “ Also the wards on most older vaults do not detect dark magic as some of the older families have heirlooms that still remain dark even though the family no longer practices.” Bragnuck continued. “Dark Magic as you know is not necessarily evil, but it is not always pleasant. As you are also aware a Horcrux could reside in a vault without anyone but the person who put it there knowing.” Harry blushed at this reminder. 

“Yes, I remember that” Harry replied sheepishly.

“Anyway, it is reasonable to say that Mr. Nott could have brought the Horcrux with him that day and left it in the vault. When the items were removed earlier this month, there could have been a lingering confundus charm around the Horcrux that confused the solicitor and made it seem as though the object was innocuous. He would never have known that he was being subjected to the charm. Now, if you will follow me, we will begin our journey to the vault in question” Bragnuck rose from his chair and led them out of the office and towards the carts that would take them to the vaults. Five minutes and a very fast and hectic ride later Harry and Charlotte stepped out of the cart behind Bragnuck. He opened Mr. Johnson’s mother’s vault and allowed Harry and Charlotte to walk inside. They began scanning items and bagging any that had traces of Dark magic. They found a few items that held traces, but no more Horcruxes which made Harry sigh with relief. They brought the items back to Bragnuck’s office and another goblin came to run diagnostics on the items. After he had confirmed that the items indeed held dark magic and could be surrendered to the ministry, Bragnuck handed a list of the items to Charlotte and told her that a similar list would be owled to Mr. Johnson for his records. 

“Thank you so much for your help master Bragnuck, we really appreciate you giving up your time to do this for us.” Harry began to ramble until Charlotte took pity on Bragnuck and dragged Harry out of the bank. 

“You need to cool it with the gushing Harry, they don’t respond to pretty words, they are more about the gold, so in order to endear them to you, you should consider investments to grow your gold. That will make them feel better about you.” Charlotte patted Harry on the shoulder. 

“Alright, alright, let’s just get back to the office so we can finish up this case. 

They sat in Charlotte’s office and wrote up their reports on the case. They had called up Mr. Johnson’s solicitor and he came in to make a statement about the vault. His story matched up with Mr. Johnson’s and both Harry and Charlotte could tell that he had no idea what he was actually removing from the vault. Harry was glad that there wasn’t more to this case, as it was already quite extraordinary. He knew that Nott would not be able to make any more Horcruxes and he was hopeful that none of Voldemort's other supporters were crazy enough to do what Nott did. He was glad that in a few hours he could go home and put this whole crazy case to rest. He was happy that Pansy and Spencer were reunited and he was glad that the Horcrux was destroyed. He was also glad that he had a team that was not only brilliant at their jobs, but that were always looking out for him and cared. He was also glad he had a family that loved him and a husband that stood up to him and for him when he wasn’t thinking clearly. Harry knew that while craziness and danger would always follow him, he now had the support system that made sure he would never face it alone. 

Epilogue 

Harry, Draco, Scorpius and James walked up the steps to Narcissa’s townhouse. It was Saturday and they had promised to come for a family dinner. The boys were excited as Narcissa had hinted that she had a surprise for them, and they had spent the afternoon talking through all the possibilities. Draco and Harry had chuckled at many of the guesses, ranging from a new colouring book to a pet dragon, which was James’ contribution because, “it could be a small one Papa, uncle Charlie says that dragons can be small” 

“I don’t think Nana will allow any dragons in her house except for me, my love, they might set her furniture on fire and she paid good money for it!” He smiled at his son's disappointed face.

“Maybe she got a crup or a kneazle. That would be safer” Scorpius tried consoling James. 

“Nana is not a fan of crups or kneazles, she says they make her sneeze'' Draco replied.

“Can we get a crup or kneazle Papa? They don’t make us sneeze.” James asked hopefully.

“No love, having a crup or kneazle is a big responsibility and you are both too young for that yet, maybe in a few years we can talk about it, but it has to be a family decision” Draco told his pet loving boy. 

The door was opened by Narcissa and hugs were given and received all around. 

“Harry I am so glad you are finished with that case, and that you have some time to reset.” Narcissa said as the adults settled in the lounge with some wine and cheese. The boys had some sparkling water and were nibbling away at the cheese with great enthusiasm.

“I am too, it was not the most run of the mill case and I am glad that it is not the norm for me. It was an interesting case and I am super happy that it all worked out in the end, but it was too much excitement for me. I like a good mystery, but not one where a life hangs in the balance.” Harry took a fortifying sip of his wine as Draco held his hand and drew circles on it with his thumb. 

“I can imagine that is one of the main reasons you decided against the Aurors, correct. Not having to hold all that responsibility on your shoulders, you had more than enough of that already. I am glad that you decided to follow another path.”

“Yes, the war really showed me that while I am capable of a lot and I will rise to the occasion should I need to, there is no point in putting myself and now my family in jeopardy. I have too much to live for and I don’t ever want to put myself in a position where I have to sacrifice myself for the greater good ever again.” Harry looked at Draco who smiled and then kissed him.

“I am glad to hear you say that. This case really brought up the past and the trauma you endured and I hated seeing you have to relive it. I knew there wasn’t a choice really, but I am also glad that it is not something that happens often.” Draco agreed. 

“I know it wasn’t easy on you and I am so thankful that you were there and took care of me and the boys throughout this whole thing”. Harry smiled and then added in a whisper in Draco’s ear, “You are my rock Draco Malfoy-Potter” and then kissed him back. 

“Nana, what is the surprise? I know I should wait but I just can’t” James looked at Narcissa with big puppy dog eyes completely oblivious of the moment that the adults were having as usual.

“Oh, well I guess now is as good of a time as any.” She turned to Harry and Draco, “I know that the past two weeks have been hard and while you are good at balancing work and family, it still was a strain. So I have contacted my property managers in Provence and had one of our villas made ready for next week. I was hoping that we could all go for a couple weeks to explore and relax. We have two separate houses so we won’t be on top of each other, and the boys can stay in either house as there are three bedrooms in each and then you two can have some time to yourselves as well as time as a family. It’s right on the coast so we will have plenty to do, and there is a private pool and the town is gorgeous. Please say yes, it will be so much fun” Narcissa looked at her sons with a worried smile.

Harry and Draco looked at each other for a few moments and then smiled at each other. 

“Of course mother, we would love to go, it sounds wonderful!” Draco gave Narcissa a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Yes, mum, it sounds lovely, and just what we need” Harry added, giving her his own hug and kiss 

“What do you think boys, do you want to go to France with Nana and stay at a place that has a pool and the ocean?”

“YES!!” the boys shouted in unison!    
“Well, that’s settled then. It looks like we’re all going to France!” Narcissa laughed happily. 

“Looks like it. Adventure here we come!” Harry grinned.

“So you’re not getting a dragon?” James asked sadly.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's a wrap, I hope you enjoyed this little fluffy adventure! Thanks for reading!


End file.
